Disturbia
by darkaccalia520
Summary: A seaQuest murder mystery. Can Nathan figure out who the killer is before he or she takes away everything he holds dear? Rated M for violence and murder scenes/descriptions to be on the safe side. Season 1 cast and setting. AU. *COMPLETE*
1. The Thief in the Night

**A/N: OK, here's a change of pace. I want to show readers that there is more to me as a writer than just sappy romance, although there will be some romantic undertones. It is, however, to not turn any of my current fans away from my writing, so I do hope readers give this a chance. The setting is early season 1 with season 1 characters. Although this is not a sequel to Never is a Promise, the background of the characters from that story will be applied. There will also be some recurring characters from that story that will appear in this one, so I do suggest you read it if you haven't. Even if romance isn't your thing, you may find yourself confused in some areas, so perhaps you can force yourself to get through the romance to get the background on certain characters. Rated M for violence to be on the safe side. I will try not to make it too gory. I kindly ask that if you are reading that you please take the time to review, even if you think it's the worst thing you've ever read. Criticism can help me become a better writer, and I appreciate all comments. Anonymous reviews are welcome also. Thank you. **

**Disclaimer: SeaQuest DSV and its characters are not my creation. They are the creation of Rockne S. O'Bannon as a 1990's television series. This work of fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only and is not for financial gain. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit and promise to return them unharmed and in their original condition, maybe just a bit happier.**

**Chapter 1**

It had been a few months since Nathan Bridger had taken command of the _seaQuest_ and its crew, and things were going swimmingly, no pun intended. He had gained the respect of all aboard the submarine, and he found he liked the fact that the _seaQuest_ was a peacekeeping vessel. He actually helped people, saved lives, a wonderful change of pace from the military life he had once known. In addition to this, as though it weren't enough, two very special people had come into his life, both filling a void and giving Nathan a new-found joy for life. Lucas Wolenczak, the seventeen-year-old computer genius whose parents couldn't handle him (nor seemed to want to try), touched a special place in Nathan's heart. Having lost his own son, he felt he'd gotten a second chance with Lucas. The boy was smart, he gave him that. But the fact remained, he was still a boy, and he needed guidance...most of all, he needed a parent, someone to love him. Nathan was just that person.

And then, there was Kristin Westphalen, CMO and head scientist, but also the love of Nathan's life. Having been in love with her for many years, Nathan and Kristin finally met once again aboard the _seaQuest_, both professing their love for one another, although being discreet so as not to compromise either's position on the boat. Nathan found that he had a surrogate family with Kristin and Lucas, and he couldn't have been happier. Although when it came to the crew of the _seaQuest_, Nathan was definitely a mother hen to all of them, feeling solely responsible for protecting each and every one of them. However, he felt a particular need to protect Lucas and Kristin, but he never knew how soon into the tour these needs would be confirmed.

Sarah Lawrence looked at her watch. Her shift ended in an hour, and she was relieved. Although she felt lucky to have been given a nursing position on the _seaQuest_, she didn't particularly enjoy working the evening shift. Although there were occasional nighttime emergencies, she found the evenings boring for the most part. She did enjoy working with Dr. Westphalen and Dr. Levin. That evening, she worked with Dr. Levin. Aside from a few crewmen with flu symptoms, there was little excitement. But the last hour of work meant that she was to prepare medical supplies for the day shift nurses. So, her job became exciting just then.

"Sarah", said Dr. Levin, "Do you mind finishing up here? I have to write some medical reports in my office, and I don't anticipate any more emergencies for the night. Of course, I'll have my PAL with me; contact me if there is a problem."

"No problem, Doctor. I'll see that you're not disturbed unless necessary," Sarah told him.

"Great. See you tonight. Same time, same place." Levin gave her a smile before leaving.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Sarah called after him a little sarcastically. She really did like her job, but she felt that she'd gotten the short end of the stick on this one. She was a wonderful nurse, but she was young and had little seniority. More experienced nurses were given the day shifts and were among the excitement of the day. There was not much need for a full medical staff during the evenings. Sarah wanted to prove that she could do as well as the other nurses, but she would never be given the opportunity if nothing exciting ever happened at night. Had it not been for the fact that she'd fallen in love with someone aboard the boat, she would have resigned. Sarah sighed as she went through the cabinets to retrieve medical supplies. She heard footsteps behind her.

"Did you forget something, Doctor?" she asked.

"I'm not the doctor," she heard a familiar voice say.

Sarah turned around. "Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn't know you were working this early." Sarah noticed the strange look on her visitor's face. "Is everything all right?", she asked.

"Everything's fine, for me anyway."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, a little worried at her friend's strange behavior.

But Sarah never received an answer because she felt a sharp pang in her abdomen as her visitor plunged a knife into her. Sarah tried to scream, but no sound came out. She tried to fight back, tried to alert someone that she was in danger. But she found herself too weak, and soon all went dark.

Nathan Bridger awoke feeling refreshed after his alarm went off. He quickly got dressed because he was hoping to spend a few moments alone with Kristin before they both had to carry on with the duties of the day. Although they were both together on the submarine, finding time alone was difficult. However, Kristin accepted it with grace; she never made him feel guilty for having to attend to the matters of the boat. As Nathan stepped out into the corridor, he headed toward's Kristin's quarters. He practically ran into her as he turned the corner, realizing that she obviously had the same idea.

"Well, fancy meeting you here," Nathan said.

"Likewise." Kristin smiled at him.

Nathan looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. When he decided the coast was clear, he kissed Kristin passionately.

"Hmmmmm," Kristin said when he broke the kiss, "If you keep that up, we'll both be late for work."

"That's how much I missed you. You know this isn't as easy as I thought, trying to be discreet and pretend that we're just friends," Nathan said quietly so that no one would hear if they were in earshot.

Kristin nodded. "Well, we both knew what we were getting into."

"Yes, well, I didn't know that I would get to see you so much without being able to 'see' you, if you know what I mean."

Kristin smiled. "But things appear to be going slower around here. Hopefully, that will open up some well-needed private time for us."

Nathan pulled her close and kissed her again. "You mean like that?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," she said, forgetting her next thought.

"Let's go get some breakfast, shall we?"Nathan asked, offering her his arm.

Kristin smiled at him and obliged as they walked. Suddenly, Kristin remembered what she had been thinking about.

"You know, now that things are slower around here, Lucas is going to be feeling lonely. We'll have to be sure that doesn't happen," Kristin commented. She was just as concerned about him as Nathan. If Nathan was Lucas' surrogate father, that made Kristin his surrogate mother.

"Of course," Nathan agreed, "We'll be sure to spend time with him too."

"Um, Nathan, I was thinking..." Kristin began.

"Yes?"

"Well, Jasmine is going to be having a break from school, and I was thinking it might be a good time for her to visit the _seaQuest_. Lucas doesn't get to spend time with kids his own age, and I thought that Jasmine would be good for him. And that would mean that you and I might get some alone time without having to worry about Lucas," Kristin suggested.

Nathan thought for a moment. "Do you really think it's a good idea to have two teenagers of the opposite sex aboard?"

"What are you suggesting, Nathan?"Kristin asked, somewhat annoyed.

"Well, um, it's just that Lucas is that age...and Jasmine is at that age...and well...you know," Nathan stammered.

"No, Nathan, I don't know. Are you suggesting that just because Lucas and Jasmine are young that they won't be able to control their hormones?"

"That's exactly what I am suggesting."

"Nathan, I'll have you know that my daughter is a very studious girl. She is not a boy-crazed teenager. She is a very sensible girl. She hasn't even mentioned boys to me, even once. She goes to an all girl's school, for goodness sake," Kristin explained.

"Those type of girls are usually the worst ones."

"_Excuse me? __I_ went to an all girl's school," Kristin was now more angry at Nathan's assumption.

"Exactly my point."

Kristin started walking away in a huff. Nathan grabbed her arm. "Look, honey, I'm sorry. It's just that I worry about Lucas, too. I know Jasmine is a good girl, and Lucas is a good boy. I just don't want either of them to be...tempted. And you know the temptation might be there. I guess what I'm saying is that I'll have to clear it with Bill...but, yes, we can arrange for your daughter to visit. But we'll have to keep a close eye on them both."

Kristin suddenly understood what Nathan was saying. "All right; you're forgiven. Everything'll be fine. You'll see."

"Whatever you say."

With that, the couple headed towards the mess hall.

As they turned the corner, however, they were interrupted when Chief Crocker came upon the two.

"Cap, Doctor, I'm glad I found you," Crocker told them in a serious tone.

"Morning, Crocker," Nathan greeted, "Is there a problem."

"I'm afraid that's an understatement, Cap. All I can say is that it's pure evil."

"What's in the world happened?" Kristin asked with concern.

"Follow me," Crocker instructed.

"Crocker, you're going to have to fill us in," Nathan said as they walked.

Although Crocker was a wonderful friend and security officer, he was a bit superstitious and sometimes exaggerated.

Crocker sighed. "There's been a murder, Cap...in the science lab."

Kristin and Nathan exchanged worried glances as they made their way towards the science lab.

"I guess this is what we get for saying that things were going to be slow around here," Nathan muttered to no one in particular as they walked.

As the three came upon the hallway leading to the lab, Crocker stopped and turned to Kristin. "Uh, Doc, maybe you should stay here for now? It's a pretty gruesome scene. Evil", he said, wide-eyed, "just pure evil."

Kristin gave a slight laugh. She was a doctor after all. She'd seen hundreds of dead bodies, dissected cadavers, performed autopsies, and she'd even seen a murder victim or two during her career. She certainly was not known for having a weak stomach when it came to things like that. Although it was sad, it was a reality of the world that people were murdered.

"Thank you for your concern, Chief, but I'll be fine," Kristin assured him.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Crocker replied with a shrug.

Nathan and Kristin certainly did not expect that the scene was really as bad as Crocker had described, considering his tendency to exaggerate. However, upon entering the lab, they finally understood that Crocker had not been exaggerating at all. Kristin's scream escaped her when she saw the young nurse surrounded by blood.


	2. Too Close for Comfort

**Chapter 2**

"Oh my God!" Kristin screamed. She felt her limbs grow weak under her as Nathan held a supportive arm around her waist.

"No, Doc, I can assure you that this is not the work of God," Crocker commented, unable to take his eyes away from the scene that lay before them.

"Crocker, what the hell happened here?" Nathan asked, trying to console a very distraught Kristin.

"All I know is that I was doing my usual morning walk through, and this is what I found. I spoke with some of the night watchmen near here, and no one saw a thing. I can say one thing, though. She definitely didn't do this to herself."

The lab was covered in blood. Sarah Lawrence, or what was left of her, was lying on the floor. Her body had been brutally mutilated. She had been stabbed multiple times, her stomach completely sliced open. There was blood on the floor, on the walls, on the tables.

Kristin felt waves of nausea wash over her as she brought her eyes to look at the scene once again, for she had not seen who the victim was. Upon seeing who lay on the floor, she promptly vomited into a nearby garbage can. Nathan was immediately at her side.

"Are you all right, Kristin? Maybe this is too much for you," Nathan suggested.

"N-Nathan. It's Sarah. Who would do this to her?" Kristin cried as Nathan held her.

"You're telling me that no one saw or heard anything?" Nathan looked at Crocker expectantly as he did his best to comfort Kristin.

"As far as I know. Dr. Levin and Miss Lawrence were the only two on duty to my knowledge. Levin said he retired to his office around 0500 hours this morning. He said Sarah was working as normal. That was the last he had seen of her," Crocker explained.

Nathan looked at the clock. Science and medical staff would be arriving for work soon, but that wasn't going to happen now.

"Seal the doors to the lab; make sure no one gets in. And no one touches anything. This is now a murder investigation, and nothing can be disturbed. I have to call Noyce," Nathan stated.

"Aye, Cap," Crocker said.

Nathan led Kristin away from the lab to her room. "You just rest, okay? I'll come by and check on you later. Are you going to be all right?"Nathan asked as he helped Kristin lay down on her bunk.

Although the color had drained from Kristin's face, she managed a small smile for Nathan's benefit. "I'll be fine," she told him. "It's just been a traumatic morning."

Nathan nodded. He kissed Kristin on the forehead. "Everything's going to be all right, okay? We're going to find who did this, and everything will go back to normal. I promise." He walked towards the door, looked over his shoulder, and said, "See you later, sweetheart."

"All right," she answered as he shut the door behind him.

As Nathan walked towards his quarters, he ran into Lucas.

"Sorry, Cap," Lucas said. "I was late for work. Dr. Westphalen's expecting me. I'm supposed to help her with some experiments with Darwin."

"Uh, Lucas there's been a change of plans. I'm afraid that you won't be needed in the lab today."

"Why not?" Lucas asked, a little hurt at the news.

"Look, _no one's_ working in the lab today. There was an 'incident'," Nathan explained, wanting to spare the boy's feelings and not wanting to tell him what had happened.

"What kind of incident?"Lucas asked with concern.

Nathan sighed. He knew Lucas would find out eventually, but he really didn't have the time to tell him right now. He feared he might have the same reaction as Kristin, and he couldn't handle that at the time. He had to speak with Noyce about getting someone on the boat to investigate.

"Look, Lucas, I really have to contact Admiral Noyce, but there is something you can do for me. Please go visit Dr. Westphalen's room. She'll fill you in. Stay with her, if you can. She's pretty shaken up under the circumstances."

Lucas had a confused look on his face. "But, Cap-"

Nathan put his arm around Lucas' shoulders. "Look, we'll talk later. I'm sorry, Lucas, but I have to go." He then left a confused Lucas standing in the corridor as he hurried to his quarters.

Lucas turned in the direction of Dr. Westphalen's room as ordered and knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," he heard the doctor say, so he obliged.

"Lucas, what a surprise!" Kristin smiled at him, but Lucas could see that she did not look as she always did. Her face was pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes. She looked as though she'd been crying. Lucas felt a little uncomfortable, realizing something was terribly wrong.

"Uh, the captain said I should stay with you. He told me you'd let me know what's going on."

Kristin nodded as she motioned for Lucas to sit down, trying to find the words to explain.

Lucas nervously sat down. Something really bad had to happen to make Dr. Westphalen cry. Besides the captain, she was the strongest person he knew. Nothing seemed to bother her much.

"Lucas, this isn't easy for me to say," Kristin began, her voice quivering a bit as the images of Sarah's lifeless body appeared in her mind. She shut her eyes tightly, willing them to go away. She had to be strong for Lucas. She had to tell him what had happened. He had a right to know.

"Doc?" Lucas asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Lucas, there's been a murder," Kristin stated quickly.

"What?" the boy asked in horror. Sure, these things happened up-world all the time, even in his own hometown. A few years back, he remembered that a neighbor girl went missing. A few months later, she was found dead in the woods. A local sex offender had raped and murdered her. But these things didn't happen on the _seaQuest._ These were good people, people who cared about the world and each other. They didn't commit murders.

Kristin put her arm around him as fresh tears came to her eyes. "I know it's hard to fathom, but it happened."

Lucas remembered what the captain said about the doctor being shaken up. He read between the lines, knowing the captain meant for him to try to comfort her in his absence.

Lucas put his arms around Kristin as she cried. He just couldn't believe this. He wondered who the victim was. "Doc," Lucas whispered after a moment, "Do you know who it was?"

Kristin pulled back and nodded as she wiped her eyes. "It was one of my night shift nurses. Sarah. I don't think you really knew her."

Lucas nodded. He had met Sarah maybe once in passing, exchanging the usual, "Hi, how are you?" conversation. Although he did not know her well, he couldn't believe anyone would want to murder that sweet girl. He once again placed his arm around the doctor's shoulders as she cried softly.

Once in his room, Nathan dialed Bill Noyce's number at UEO headquarters on the vid-screen.

"Nathan, what can I do for you?" Bill asked.

"Well, I am sorry to inform you that this isn't exactly a social call," Nathan stated.

"Oh?"

"Bill, let me just cut to the chase because I'm not sure how to handle this one. There's been a murder."

"What? How the hell did that happen?" Bill exclaimed. "All crew members had background checks and psychological testing. This shouldn't have happened."

"Well, apparently, you missed something in those checks." Nathan paused for a bit. "Bill, it was a pretty violent scene. We need to get someone down here to investigate," he said quietly.

"Who is the victim?" Bill asked.

"A young nurse-a Sarah Lawrence?" Nathan said. He hadn't know the girl very well. With over two hundred people on the submarine, Nathan found it difficult to know everyone aboard. He had succeeded in learning everyone's name. Although he knew certain crew members quite personally, he couldn't possibly know everyone on board that well.

Bill nodded. He recognized the name. "Look, Nathan. It's probably going to be a few hours before I can send a launch to where you are. We've never had a situation like this before. I am going to have to make some calls. Don't worry, Nathan, I'll handle this."

"I've made sure the labs are closed off so no one gets in order to preserve evidence, but I have over two hundred crew members who are going to be in a panic very soon once they find out there's a murderer on board," Nathan explained.

"You'll just have to think of a way to calm them down, Nathan. I trust you can handle it for the time being."

Nathan nodded. There wasn't much else he could do. He cut the connection short. Then, he went to go see how Crocker was doing. When he arrived in the lab, Crocker was trying to hold off some very distraught science and medical staff personnel who demanded to know what was going on. Nathan decided he had to do something different. He headed to the bridge.

"Thank you, Commander." Nathan nodded to Ford. "I'll take it from here."

"Yes, Captain."

Nathan walked over to the intercom and hit the button for the boat-wide PA system. He called everyone aboard to the bridge. He decided he was going to have to tell everyone what had happened.

A short time later, the bridge was filled with the concerned and anxious faces of all aboard the _seaQuest_, wondering what was going on.

Nathan stood before them all as he motioned for everyone to be quiet. "Ladies and gentleman, I'd like to thank you all for coming here. There is no easy way to say this, but there was a murder last night." Nathan paused as he heard many surprised gasps. "Sarah Lawrence, one of our nurses, was murdered in the lab. Until NCIS can come and do an investigation, the labs are closed. No one is allowed in the area. Although it may be difficult, I ask that everyone remain calm. No one need jump to conclusions until we have more evidence. However, if anyone saw Sarah last night or noticed anything unusual, please keep that in mind. Once investigators arrive, I am sure everyone will be questioned. Until then, we have jobs to do. So, please, let us carry on and do what is necessary. You are all dismissed."


	3. A Killer Among Us

**Chapter 3**

As the crew began to disperse, some members began to panic. Nathan should have expected that. Some of the other nurses were crying over the news.

Jeanine, another nurse who was friends with Sarah, called out, "Poor Sarah; I can't believe one of us would do that to her!"

Then, Nathan heard someone else say, "That means one of us is a killer."

_Oh, no_, thought Nathan, _Please hurry, Bill. This is not going to be easy._

Nathan walked over to where Lucas and Kristin were standing. Kristin still looked distraught, and Lucas looked just as worried.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"All right," Lucas said as Kristin forced a small smile for Nathan.

"Look, why don't you take the doctor back to her room?" Nathan said to Lucas. "Stay together. I'm going to have to try to get some work done...and try to keep everyone calm."

"Do you think there's any danger?" Lucas asked.

Nathan sighed, looking at both their worried faces. He wanted to tell them no, but really didn't know if it were true. "I'm not really sure; I hope not. Just don't leave each other alone, okay? I'll catch up with you two later."

As Nathan did his best to try to keep the crew calm, Bill Noyce was contacting NCIS, the Naval Criminal Investigation Service. The UEO wasn't about to let the _seaQuest_ surface; obviously, the agents would be transferred by launch to investigate.

"Agent Sam Duncan here-NCIS."

"Yes, my name is Admiral Bill Noyce. We've had a murder aboard the _seaQuest._ We need someone on it right away."

"Yes, sir. My partner and I will meet you right away with a crime response team in tow," Duncan said.

A short time later, Agents Sam Duncan and Joe Watson along with crime scene clean-up crew and forensic medical examiners.

"Now, Captain Bridger has informed me that he has sealed the lab off until you arrive," Noyce explained.

"Excuse me, sir. Did you say Bridger-Nathan Bridger?" Duncan asked.

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"We met a few years back under different circumstances," Duncan explained.

"Well, I'm sorry the reunion couldn't have been under more pleasant terms," Noyce said.

"It never is."

Soon, Duncan, Watson, and the response team were on a launch headed for _seaQuest_.

Back on the _seaQuest_, rumors were flying over the ship about the murder, and crew members were speculating about who among them would have done this.

"Well, it's obvious the killer is a man," Ben Krieg said.

"That is so sexist," said Katie Hitchcock, "The killer could easily be female."

"Statistics show that white men are more likely to be murderers," O'Neill added.

"Statistics also show that a murder on the _seaQuest_ would never happen; looks like the statistics are wrong," Katie pointed out.

"Look, the fact of the matter remains that someone on this boat is a murderer. Everybody's a suspect," Ben commented.

There was a small lull of silence.

Then Ben piped up, "You know, I heard she was gutted."

"Oh geez! Who told you that? No one's allowed near there," said Miguel Ortiz.

"I don't know; it's just what I heard the others saying."

"Or maybe you were there. Tell me, where were you last night?" Katie asked.

"Oh please, Katie, you know me. We were married for Christ's sake. You know I'm not a murderer."

Katie knew Ben was right; although he was always planning one scheme or another, he was not a malicious person. But she had a point to make. "Well, then maybe you shouldn't be spreading rumors of which you know nothing about."

"Katie, I-"

Nathan had overheard the conversation, and he decided it was time he put a stop to it. Although he knew everyone was on edge considering the circumstances, he needed them to keep their heads clear. Discussions like this were not going to help them do that. "Uh, excuse me, people? We have a job to do. Let's leave this conversation on the wayside."

"Yes, sir," muttered the sheepish looking crew members in unison.

A few hours later, the launch arrived on _seaQuest_. Nathan went to greet the guests.

"Captain Bridger," Duncan said as he shook his hand. "I'm not sure if you remember me..."

"On the contrary, I do," Nathan said. "Uh, Lieutenant?"

"Agent, now...and this is Agent Watson. Remember him?" Duncan asked.

"I do. I never thought I'd have to see you two again."

"Likewise. Unfortunately, we have a job to do," Watson said.

"Right." Nathan started walking. "Follow me; I'll show you to your quarters, and then we'll head to the lab."

When they arrived at the hallway entering the lab, Nathan said, "I suppose I'll leave you to your investigation." He did not want to have to see the scene again.

"Uh, wait a minute, Captain. Can we ask you a couple of questions?" Watson asked.

"Like what can you tell us about the victim?" Duncan finished.

Nathan sighed. "Sarah Lawrence, she was a night shift nurse. According to the doctor she was working with last night, he said he retired to his office around 0500 hours. He said everything was fine. Then, by 0700 hours, this is how the lab was found."

"No one heard or saw anything?" Watson asked.

"Not as far as I know."

"The doctor working with her, who was that?" Duncan asked.

"Dr. Levin, Joshua Levin. He's one of the doctors here. I can already tell you he's not a murderer," Nathan admonished.

"Yes, well, that's something we'll have to decide," Duncan stated.

"Very well. I suppose you don't want to see this again." Watson motioned towards the lab.

"Is it that obvious?" Nathan asked, but didn't stick around for an answer. As he walked down the hall, he heard the door of the lab being opened and the voice of Duncan exclaiming, "Oh, Jesus!"

Duncan and Watson entered the crime scene. Watson snapped pictures with his camera for evidence. Then, they examined the body.

"Stab wounds on hands. That means she fought back," Duncan commented.

"Maybe she'll have DNA under her fingernails then...and we'll nail the bastard who did this to her," Watson replied.

Then, they started documenting where stab wounds were until they came upon her abdomen. Duncan leaned in close. "It looks like some of the internal organs are missing."

"You think this guy wanted a trophy?"

"I'm not sure what I think yet. Dr. Lawton?" Duncan motioned for the forensic medical examiner.

Dr. Lawton did a full autopsy on Sarah while Watson, Duncan, and the rest of the team looked for hair, fibers, and other clues at the scene.

Upon further examination, Watson noticed a lock of hair was cut. "Maybe that was the trophy?"

A few hours later, Lawton had finished his examination. He told Watson and Duncan about his findings.

"It seems Sarah had approximately thirty-nine stab wounds, most in the abdominal area, some on her hands, and across her throat. It appears the murderer removed her uterus and her left kidney."

Upon hearing the news, Duncan said, "Who the hell does this guy think he is; Jack the Ripper?"

"Do you think it's a copycat?" Watson asked.

"We won't call it that yet," Duncan answered. Then, he thought for a moment. "Doctor, did you find anything in the scrapings under her fingernails."

"Nothing conclusive."

"Well, I guess we search her room to see if we can find any clues."

Watson and Duncan went to Bridger's quarters while the rest of the crime team cleaned up.

"Oh, my God," Nathan muttered when they told him.

"We're going to have to search her room, Captain," Duncan explained.

"Right," Nathan replied as he led them to Sarah's room.

Duncan and Watson searched the room for clues, but found little. Watson entered the bathroom. Suddenly he discovered something substantial. "Uh, Sam, I think you ought to see this."

Duncan entered the bathroom to see Watson, holding a pregnancy test. "She was pregnant."

"That opens up a-whole-nother can of worms," Duncan commented.

"Now we just need to figure out who the father is." Watson said.

**A/N: To those of you who read earlier, chapter 3 was posted. However, it was brought to my attention that there were some inaccurate mistakes. It has been revised and is hopefully more logical. Thank you.**


	4. Another Piece of the Puzzle

**Chapter 4**

After searching around Sarah's room for anything substantial, Duncan did find a note. It read:

_Sarah,_

_Please change your mind. I love you._

_Mateo_

"Mateo's probably the daddy," deduced Watson.

"And our person of interest," added Duncan. He looked at his watch. It was after 0100 hours; he wanted to keep going, to keep trying to find out what happened, but it was obvious it was going to have to wait until morning. He and Watson retired to their rooms.

Meanwhile, Nathan was just retiring himself. After he'd last spoke with Watson and Duncan, he went to check on Lucas and Kristin. Lucas, although worried about Kristin and upset over the fact that someone was murdered, appeared to be doing fairly well under the circumstances. Nathan made sure Lucas got off to bed.

"Come on, Cap. I'm seventeen; I don't need a babysitter," Lucas told him.

"I know you're seventeen," Nathan stated as he walked him to his room, "but I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Lucas said as they reached his door. He turned to Nathan. "Look, I know everyone's on edge, but you don't need to worry about me. _I'm_ not the one who saw the body."

"And I'm glad of that," Nathan said, "Dr. Westphalen's still pretty shaken up about it. I want to thank you for staying with her while I was dealing with the NCIS agents and the rest of the matters around here. I just want to make sure you're okay before I go see how she's doing."

"No problem; it kept me out of trouble." Lucas flashed a grin. "Goodnight, Captain, and thanks."

"Goodnight, kiddo."

Nathan left Lucas' room and headed for Kristin's. He sighed. He wished they would've heeded Crocker's warning, wished Kristin would not have seen Sarah's body. It's just that no one anticipated how horrific it would truly be. He knocked on Kristin's door.

A few seconds later, she answered. _Oh, she looks like hell_, Nathan thought. She was still very pale, her eyes red-rimmed, dark circles underneath. She'd been crying again, Nathan noticed, for there were still tears in her eyes. He entered the room and immediately pulled Kristin into a tight hug. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"

Kristin sobbed into his shoulder for an answer.

Nathan ushered her to a sit down, and he held her, whispering soothing words to her until her sobs subsided.

"It's all right now," Nathan soothed.

"No, it isn't, Nathan," Kristin answered, her voice weak, "Every time I close my eyes, I see-I see her." Kristin broke into tears again.

"Shhhh," Nathan soothed, "Please don't cry, sweetie." Nathan wrapped his arms around her again. He was really surprised at how deeply Kristin was affected by this. He was hoping she would be better by morning. He suggested she lie down. He walked her to her bunk.

"There, feel better now?" Nathan asked her.

"I'd be better if you'd hold me...please?"

Nathan crawled into the bunk next to her. Kristin cuddled in close to him. Soon they were both asleep. Nathan had woken up a few hours later. He carefully shifted so as not to wake Kristin and quietly left the room. He retired to his own quarters, knowing that the next day was not going to be any easier than this one.

The next morning, Duncan and Watson rose early to continue their investigation. They met Nathan in the corridor.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Nathan greeted them, although it wasn't a very cheery greeting.

"Ah, Captain, just the person we wanted to see. Is there somewhere private we can talk?" Duncan asked.

Nathan led them to the ward room and shut the door behind them. He looked at Duncan and Watson expectantly.

Duncan didn't waste any time. "Captain, were you aware that Sarah Lawrence was pregnant?"

Nathan was shocked. "No."

Watson explained, "We found a positive pregnancy test in her room. Is that something you normally keep on the boat-over the counter pregnancy tests?"

"No, I wouldn't think so. You have to understand, we don't have too many pregnancies down here. In fact, we haven't had any, to my knowledge. I would think if a woman on the boat _were_ pregnant, she would need to see one of the doctors to confirm it," Nathan said.

"Captain, we're going to need access to Sarah's Lawrence's files. We're also going to need an area where we can question witnesses where we won't be disturbed," Watson explained.

"You can use this room, if it's sufficient."

Duncan looked around the room. "This should be fine."

Watson asked, "If you weren't aware of Sarah's pregnancy, you probably weren't aware of any boyfriend she may have had?"

"I really did not know Sarah that well at all," Nathan explained. "You need to understand that I mainly interact with the crew on the bridge and senior staff."

"Right, understandable," Watson said.

"One more thing, Captain?" Duncan said, "Do you know a Mateo?"

Nathan thought for a moment, trying to scan his mind if there happened to be a Mateo on board.

"We have an ensign named Mateo Alvarez."

"We're going to have to talk to him," Duncan said simply.

A short time later, Ensign Alvarez arrived at the ward room. He was frightened. Not too many people knew he and Sarah had been in love, and now he was worried. He couldn't believe what had happened to Sarah and their baby. He was so excited to be a father, but Sarah had said she wasn't sure if she wanted to keep the baby. She had told him she wanted an abortion. She didn't want Mateo's career or hers, for that matter, to be ruined, and she doubted the UEO would allow her to stay if she had a baby. He'd been trying to convince her to change her mind. He knocked on the ward room door and walked in.

"Mateo Alvarez? I'm Agent Sam Duncan." He motioned towards Watson. "And this is my partner Joe Watson. Please, have a seat."

Mateo sat down. He was trying to calm his nerves.

"Listen, Mateo, you know why you're here, right?" Duncan asked.

"To talk about what happened to Sarah," Mateo answered.

"How well did you know her?" Watson asked.

"We were friends-good friends."

Watson took a plastic bag containing the note that they had found off a nearby table. "It sounds like maybe you were more than friends. Do you often tell girls that are just good friends that you love them?"

Mateo took a deep breath. "We were dating."

"How long had you been going out?" Duncan asked.

"A year, maybe longer. We met on base before we were both assigned to the _seaQuest_; she worked at the base clinic then," Mateo explained.

"Did you know she was pregnant?" Watson asked.

Mateo felt a lump in his throat at the mention of this. He was still coming to terms with the reality that his unborn child was dead. He nodded sadly.

"When did she tell you?" asked Duncan.

"Last week. She said she found out a couple of days before she told me."

Watson said, "Did she see one of the doctors on board?"

Mateo shook his head. "No, she got an over the counter pregnancy test. She didn't want the pregnancy to go into her medical files. She said she was afraid they'd throw her off the boat."

"How'd she get an over the counter pregnancy test underwater?" Duncan inquired.

"She bribed Ben Krieg. He's the supply officer on the boat. He promised he wouldn't say anything."

"Were you happy about the baby?" asked Watson.

"Yes, I was. But Sarah wasn't. She told me she wanted an abortion. She was going to be having a leave coming up next month; she was planning to go to a clinic up-world," Mateo said sadly.

"And you didn't want her to do that?" Duncan guessed.

"No, of course not! But Sarah was worried about our careers. I told her that my career didn't matter more than our child." Then, he added, "My family's Catholic; we don't support abortion."

"What about Sarah's family?"

"She didn't have any, that she knew of, anyway. Her parents were both dead, no brothers or sisters. She wasn't very religious."

"So you tried to convince Sarah to change her mind about the baby?" Duncan asked.

Mateo nodded.

"How did you go about convincing her? Did you threaten her?"

"What? No! I loved her."

"Love makes us do crazy things sometimes," added Watson.

"Did you kill her?" Duncan cut to the chase.

"No!"

"Did you visit Sarah yesterday morning in the lab?"

"No, I-"

"Where were you at that time then?" Duncan pressed.

"I was in my room asleep. Where else would I be?" Mateo replied, obviously frustrated.

"Well, I don't know; you tell us," Duncan said as he tossed a folder on the table in front of Mateo, "Maybe these will jog your memory."

Mateo opened the folder and gasped at the photos of the crime scene. "I didn't do this to her," he said, his voice shaking.

"Who do you think did then?" Watson asked.

"I don't know. Look, give me a poly if you don't believe me. Search my room; do what you have to do because I'm innocent."

"Well, we'll just see about that," Duncan said, "And we will be searching your room."


	5. From Hell

**Chapter 5**

As Duncan and Watson were about to leave with Mateo, there was a knock at the door. It was Nathan. Duncan and Watson told Mateo they would meet with him later.

"Gentlemen, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have Sarah's files for you," Nathan said.

Duncan and Watson looked it over. "It says here she'd been seeing a Dr. Mitchell. Who's that?" said Watson.

"Is that the chief physician?" asked Duncan.

"No, that's Dr. Westphalen; and our assistant physician is Dr. Levin. Dr. Mitchell is our psychiatrist on the _seaQuest_."

"There is a need for a psychiatrist here?" Watson asked surprised.

"It wasn't my idea; it was the UEO's. It's just for precautions. Honestly, I don't think the crew keep her that busy. However, under the circumstances, I'm afraid that she may be seeing more patients," Nathan said.

"Can you direct us to her office, Captain?" asked Duncan.

"Certainly, gentlemen."

The three headed to Dr. Kathleen Mitchell's office. It was located near the science and medical labs, which were now open. On the way, Nathan stopped to check on Kristin. She appeared to be doing better now that she could work again. She smiled and waved to Nathan as he passed.

Nathan returned the smile and mouthed, "I'll talk to you later."

Kristin nodded and continued with her work.

After they reached the door to Dr. Mitchell's office, Nathan said, "This is it. I hope you don't mind if I head to the bridge now."

"Not at all, Captain. Thank you for your time," said Duncan while Watson nodded in agreement.

Duncan knocked on the door. A tall, middle-aged, but lovely woman answered. She had shoulder length brown hair, deep blue eyes, and a warm smile.

"Hello, can I help you?" she greeted them as she stepped back to allow them to enter her office.

"Uh, yes, Dr. Mitchell, is it?" Duncan asked to which Kathleen nodded. "We're agents from NCIS; I'm Sam Duncan; this is Joe Watson. We need to speak with you about Sarah Lawrence."

"Of course, gentlemen. Please, have seat." Kathleen motioned towards two chairs placed in front of her desk while took sat herself.

"Sarah's file said she had been seeing you; what was she seeing you for?" inquired Duncan.

"She was confused. She'd been having some arguments with her boyfriend, and she needed someone to talk to," Kathleen said.

Watson asked, "What kind of arguments? Were they violent?"

"No, nothing like that. They were more like disagreements, really."

"When did Sarah start coming to you?" asked Duncan.

"A few weeks ago. She had been having some conflicts."

"Look, Doctor, you don't need to honor doctor/patient confidentiality here. We know that Sarah was pregnant. Was that the conflict you are referring to?" said Duncan.

Kathleen nodded. "I'm sorry. It is just a sad situation."

"I understand, but you really need to tell us everything you can. That's the only way we're going to find out who did this to her," Watson explained.

"Did she and her boyfriend fight a lot?" asked Duncan.

"Only about this, according to what she told me. She didn't want to go through with the pregnancy; he did."

"Do you know Mateo?" asked Watson.

Kathleen shook her head. "I've never met him personally. I only know what Sarah told me. To my knowledge, Sarah never told him that she was talking to me. I can tell you that she loved him very much, and she said he loved her. She just wasn't ready for a baby."

Suddenly the door opened.

"Oh, Jeanine!" Kathleen exclaimed.

"I-I'm sorry, Dr. Mitchell. I-I didn't know you were busy. I-I'll come back later," said Jeanine, who had obviously been crying.

"Uh, Doctor, we are actually finished here. Thank you for your time," said Duncan.

"You're welcome, gentlemen," said Kathleen as she placed a comforting arm around Jeanine's shoulders, and Duncan and Watson left to meet Mateo.

Nathan stopped back in the lab on his way to the bridge. Kristin was in her office rummaging through her desk, looking for a file she had misplaced. She stopped when she heard Nathan's voice.

"Feeling better this morning?" Nathan asked her.

"Yes, now that I have my work to keep me busy, I'm fine. Thank you for staying with me until I fell asleep last night," she said with a smile.

"It was my pleasure," Nathan told her as he entered the room and kissed her on the cheek, "I am just glad you're back to normal."

"Not completely, but getting there. It's going to be another long day?"

"Unfortunately. I just wanted to check on you before I went to the bridge. I'm not sure if I'll be able to see you again the rest of the day."

"Right, well, I have a lot of work to catch up on anyway. Maybe we can meet for dinner?" Kristin asked hopefully.

"We'll play it by ear. If not, you and Lucas can grab something together."

"No problem," Kristin said as she rose to give Nathan a kiss. "Good luck."

"Thanks. See you later."

With that Nathan was gone; Kristin went back to the task at hand. She had searched every drawer in her desk except for the bottom. She opened it and found a beautifully wrapped, fairly large gift box-too big to be a necklace or a ring. She took it out of the drawer and set it on her desk. The card simply said, 'For You', but she already knew who would leave a gift for her: Nathan. She wondered when he might have bought her a present and decided that it must have been before all the drama. She debated opening it. Should she wait until she talked to Nathan first? Did he want her to open it in front of him? But then he would have handed it to her. She decided that Nathan wanted her to open it as soon as she discovered it. So, Kristin carefully untied the bow and tore off the wrapping paper to uncover a black velvet box with a lid. She carefully lifted the lid and was horrified by what she saw for inside the box was a bloody kidney. Kristin let out a blood-curdling scream, alerting the attention of everyone in the lab.

Both Lucas and a nurse named Marilyn were the first to arrive at Kristin's door.

"Doctor, is everything all right?," Marilyn asked her, noticing the look of sheer horror on Kristin's face.

Kristin moved in front of her desk so that they could not see the contents of the box. "Uh, yes...sorry, Marilyn." Kristin did not want to alarm anyone else, especially Lucas. "You see I-I thought I saw a mouse. It was just my imagination, though."

"Oh," said Marilyn, "as long as everything's fine, I'll get back to work." She turned to tell the other nurses and technicians that it was a false alarm.

However, Lucas was doubtful. He noticed how all the color had drained from Kristin's face and how horrified she still looked. Kristin saw that Lucas was lingering.

"Lucas, I said everything's fine. You can go back to work now," she told him.

"Are you sure? You don't look fine," Lucas noted.

"Uh-I'm just a little tired. You know we were all up late last night," she lied. If Lucas saw what was in the box, who knew what that could do to him? She didn't want to risk it. She put an arm around him to usher him out of the office. "Now, listen, I want you to go work with Darwin. The vocoder seems to have a glitch in it again. I need to go find the captain. I'll come and check on you in a little while," she said with a smile.

Lucas accepted the answer and nodded, starting towards the moon pool.

"And, Lucas?" Kristin called after him.

"Yeah?" Lucas turned back to her.

"Don't worry, all right?"

"All right. See you later."

"Likewise."

Kristin closed the door behind her She found herself trembling as she turned back to her desk, bringing a hand to her mouth to stifle the cries that came like a wave over her. A short time later, she was able to compose herself. She had to go find Nathan.

"Marilyn, I need to go to the bridge. Please make sure no one goes into my office," she ordered gently.

"Yes, Doctor."

Meanwhile, Duncan and Watson were searching Mateo's quarters; Watson discovered a note from someone named Jeanine.

"Who's Jeanine?" Watson asked Mateo, who stood watching them.

"A friend. She's a nurse on board too," answered Mateo.

"Are you dating her, too?" asked Duncan.

"No, she is...was Sarah's best friend. They grew up together. She's the only other person who knew about the baby."

Watson and Duncan continued to search the room; Mateo was certain they wouldn't find anything.

Duncan looked under the bunk and discovered a shoe box. He pulled it out and noticed it had blood seeping out of it. On the top were the words, "From Hell".

"Do you want to explain this?"

Mateo was confused. "That isn't mine! You have to believe me!"

Duncan lifted the lid and found the missing uterus.

"Son, you'd better start telling the truth," Duncan warned.


	6. Don't Fear the Reaper

**A rather lengthy A/N: First of all, I need to clear up one issue. Some readers have wondered how Nathan and Duncan and Watson know each other; Duncan and Watson are the same officers from Never is a Promise. It is implied that they eventually moved to NCIS; perhaps I just didn't transition it very well. My apologies for any confusion I may have caused. Perhaps it was just laziness on my part for not wanting to create new CO's and wanting to use already established characters. And, it was my evil way of making readers have to read my other story if they did not. I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no mystery with Duncan and Watson. Sorry.**

**Secondly, it has been brought to my attention that the possibility for my not receiving many reviews may be due to the fact that my stories are actually poorly written and no one wants to tell me for fear of hurting my feelings. Here is my opinion on that. There are two important elements in fanfiction: the writer and the reader. Although the writer is important, the reader is the most integral part. The reason being, that without the reader, what would be the point of writing? As a writer, it is my job to please you as the reader and entertain you. If I am not doing that for whatever reason, wouldn't it only be fair to tell me so that I can have a chance to please you? If you, as the reader, say nothing and allow me to continue on the same path while I've already turned you off, is that really fair to me? So, if it really is the fact that you do not want to hurt my feelings, then send me a private message. Give me a chance to fix whoever issue you may have with the story; as the reader, you need to use your voice to get what you want out of your fanfiction experience. If you don't, you are not doing anyone any favors-not me and not yourself. So, again, please please please review or send me a message. To the ones who have already reviewed-thank you. I appreciate it, truly. To the ones who are reading and are enjoying but have not reviewed, thank you as well. This is not meant to make you feel bad for not reviewing. I completely understand that some people just want to read stories and be left alone. But to those who are reading and have some sort of issue with the story, or the writing, or the grammar, or something...just tell me. Please? Thank you.**

**Chapter 6**

"I am telling the truth!" Mateo yelled. "Ask Jeanine, ask Alex-ask anybody who knows me. They'll tell you I'm innocent."

"Who's Alex?" asked Watson.

"Alejandro Lopez, but everyone calls him Alex. He works in engineering, but he's also my cousin. Although we're cousins, we grew up in the same house. We're more like brothers. He'll tell you I'm not a murder!" said Mateo.

Duncan sighed. He wasn't sure what to believe. This kid really didn't seem like the kind of guy who would murder someone, but then, anything was possible. "OK, I'll question this Jeanine and Alex. But, you're going to have to stay with Watson under watch. You _are_ our main suspect."

"I'll do what I have to." Mateo answered.

Nathan was surprised to see Kristin on the bridge.

"Missed me already?," he quipped. However, he lost his smile when he noted the look on Kristin's face; she looked just like she did after they discovered Sarah's body. "Is something wrong?"

Kristin did not want to alarm any of the senior crew members. "I need to show you something in my office," she said seriously.

Nathan sighed. He wasn't going to get any work done at this rate. "Can it wait? We're trying to answer a distress call here."

Kristin gave him a worried look. "It really can't."

"Ford, you have the bridge." Nathan said as he and Kristin headed to the mag-lev.

In the mag-lev, Nathan asked, "So, you want to tell me what's going on?"

Kristin took a deep breath. "N-nathan, someone...the killer...he..." Kristin stammered, her voice quivering.

Nathan noticed how upset Kristin was. He put an arm around her; she was trembling. "Kristin, calm down; you're not making any sense." Nathan pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. "Just take a deep breath. That's it." he soothed. "Now do you think you can tell me what the problem is?"

Kristin nodded. "Nathan, did Sarah have any bodily organs missing?"

Nathan hadn't told Kristin any of those details. Considering how upset she had been after seeing Sarah's body, he didn't want exacerbate that. "Kristin, why would you ask something like that?" he asked with concern.

Kristin was on the verge of tears. "Just _please_ tell me." she pleaded.

Nathan nodded. "Kristin-" Nathan was interrupted as the mag-lev came to a stop. Kristin grabbed his hand and gently pulled him towards her office.

"Kristin. what is going on?" Nathan asked. "You're scaring me."

As they arrived at her office door, Kristin said, "Well, someone's trying to scare _me_." She opened the door and showed Nathan the 'gift'. "And it's working."

"Oh my God." Nathan said. He pulled Kristin into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Honey. I had no idea..."

Kristin finally broke down She had tried to be strong, but her strength had been tested to it's breaking point. She sobbed into Nathan's shoulder.

Nathan whispered comforting words to her until her sobs subsided. After she quieted, he asked, "Did you alert the NCIS agents?"

Kristin shook her head. "I don't even know where they are right now; that's why I went to find you."

Nathan nodded. Of course, he had kept Kristin in the dark on the details of Watson and Duncan.

Nathan grabbed his PAL. "Ford, don't expect me back on the bridge; can you handle it?"

"Yes, Sir." came Ford's reply.

After he cut the connection, he turned to Kristin. "Let's go. Make sure you lock the door so no one disturbs this." he motioned towards the gift box.

Kristin nodded as they went to find Watson and Duncan.

Watson and Mateo stayed in Mateo's room while Duncan was in the ward room. Mateo had helped him find Jeanine, the girl he had met in Dr. Mitchell's office earlier. Although she was visibly upset, she was a bit calmer now.

"So, Jeanine...?" Duncan asked, indicating he wanted her last name.

"Taylor, Sir." Jeanine answered.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I know this isn't easy for you to talk about this." Duncan said.

"Thank you for your concern, Sir, but I'll be fine. I had a nice long talk with Dr. Mitchell, and I feel much better now."

"I am glad to hear that, but if you need to take a break at all during this, just let me know, alright?"

Jeanine nodded.

"How did you know Sarah?"

"We grew up together in Salt Lake City, Utah. We were next door neighbors and best friends. She had a hard time fitting in, her family not being Mormon, so I made sure she had a friend." Jeanine said.

"You're Mormon?" Duncan asked.

Jeanine nodded. "My family's very religious."

"So, what did you think of Sarah wanting an abortion?"

"I tried to talk her out of it, but she didn't want the baby. She didn't know if Mateo was the father."

"She was cheating on him? With who?" Duncan asked.

"I don't know; she wouldn't tell me. She said it was a mistake and that it didn't matter. She didn't want Mateo to know."

"That seems like an unlikely friendship, you and Sarah." Duncan thought aloud.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, I mean you being very religious and having strong morals. It sounds like Sarah had different priorities."

"Well, you know what they say-opposites attract. All through our childhood, I was the one trying to keep Sarah on the straight and narrow, but she showed me to let my hair down a little bit too.", Jeanine explained.

"How so?"

"Well, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't even have a boyfriend. Alex. He's Mateo's cousin."

"You're dating a Catholic?" Duncan was surprised.

"I try to see people for _who_ they are not _what_ they are. Alex and I have similar values. I am not compromising anything." Jeanine explained.

"I'm sorry; I was just surprised. Let's get back to Mateo and Sarah."

"Yes?"

"Was Mateo ever mean or abusive to her?"

Jeanine thought for a moment. "Not really."

"What do you mean, 'not really'? Duncan asked.

"Well, there was this one time when they first started dating. Mateo's anger got out of hand and he hit her. As far as I know, that was the only time. That was over a year ago." Jeanine explained.

"Do you think Mateo would ever hurt her again, say if something provoked him?" Duncan asked.

Jeanine sighed. "I don't really know. I think if he'd found out about Sarah's affair, then maybe. He was pretty possessive that way. He didn't like other men talking to her or anything like that."

Duncan sighed. The more he found out about Mateo, the more it seemed he was guilty. "How about you tell me how I can find Alex?

Nathan and Kristin arrived at the doorway for the ward room. They caught Duncan just as he and Jeanine were leaving.

"Captain, what can I do for you?" Duncan asked a little surprised.

Nathan did not want to blurt out what the problem was in front of the young nurse. "Can we speak with you privately?"

Duncan looked at Nathan and the woman he was with. From the looks on both of their faces, this wasn't going to be quick. He turned to Jeanine. "Can I speak with you later?"

Jeanine nodded. "You can find me on B-deck. My room is number 123."

"Thank you, Jeanine." answered Duncan. She left as Nathan and Kristin entered the ward room with Duncan.

As they sat down, Nathan said, "Agent Duncan, do you remember Kristin?"

Duncan looked at the woman with Nathan. She did look familiar. "Mrs. Nelson?"

"It's Dr. Westphalen now." Nathan answered for her. Kristin was still too upset to speak about trivial matters.

"Sorry. So what can I do for you two?"

Nathan looked at Kristin, urging her to speak. Kristin took a deep breath. "It seems whomever murdered Sarah sent me her kidney." she said quietly.

"What do you mean 'sent you'?" Duncan asked.

"He boxed it up, wrapped it like a present, and placed it in the bottom drawer of my desk for me to find." said Kristin near tears again.

Nathan put an arm around her. He didn't like seeing Kristin like this, and he was getting frustrated that she was being targeted.

"Show me." Duncan said.

A short while later, all three were in Kristin's office. Duncan examined the contents of the box and searched around the office for other clues.

Nathan asked, "So, do you think this was random, or do you think Kristin is being targeted?"

Duncan sighed. He ran the facts in his head. Although he already suspected who the murderer was, there was one thing bothering him: the parallels between this case and the Jack the Ripper murders. Jack the Ripper had been a serial killer who targeted women. So far, this was obviously not a serial murder, but he didn't want to take chances. "I would suggest the Doctor be placed under protection, have her room guarded until this gets solved to be on the safe side." Then he added, "I think we need to close the labs again. I'm going to have to get the forensics team down here and search everything thoroughly. Admittedly, we only focused on the medical lab because that was where the murder took place. We didn't search through the offices."

"Right." Nathan said. "We'll make an announcement for the medical and science personnel." He looked towards Kristin. She had her back turned to him, her head in her hands. She had to be terrified. He put an arm around her and led her out of her office. "We'll leave you to your work. Thank you." he said to Duncan.

"Captain, Doctor, don't worry. We'll figure this out." Duncan said.

With that, Nathan and Kristin went into the labs. He pushed the button for the PA system, making an announcement that the labs were once again closed until further notice.

After being sure that the labs were cleared, he and Kristin went to her room.

She hadn't spoken since Duncan had said she needed protection.

"Kristin, are you alright?" Nathan asked gently.

Kristin shook her head. "No, I'm not alright." she said through tears. "I've just found out that I am being targeted by a killer. How would _you_ feel?" She broke down crying again.

Nathan wrapped his arms around her. How was he going to fix this? How could he make Kristin feel safe when he didn't even know how to stop it? He made a decision.

"You're staying in my room until this is solved." he told her.

Kristin wiped her eyes and said, "Nathan, we can't do that. How is that going to _look_?"

"I don't give a damn _how_ it looks; this is for your safety. And you shouldn't either."

Kristin sighed. She wanted nothing more than to stay in Nathan's room. After all, they were lovers, but she didn't want rumors about their relationship flying all over the boat. It was too soon for that since they agreed to be discreet. However, she knew Nathan was right. And, she was scared to death. "Alright." she agreed.

"I'm going to have to speak with Crocker about guarding you when I'm not around you. Why don't you pack some things, and I'll meet you back in say 30 minutes?" Nathan said.

Kristin nodded. She didn't like the fact that she was going to have to have a bodyguard, but she didn't want to be terrified either.

Nathan gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Lock the door as soon as I leave, OK?"

"Alright." she answered quietly.

Nathan left the room, and Kristin obeyed by locking the door as she promised. She pulled an overnight bag out from under her bunk and began packing clothing into it. After packing enough clothing for a few days, she decided it was time to pack personal items and toiletries. She entered the bathroom and was terrified by what she saw. She grabbed her PAL and screamed for Nathan.


	7. Hush

**Chapter 7**

Nathan had been speaking with Crocker about guarding Kristin when he heard her scream through his PAL. Nathan's heart sank. What could have happened? He was only there just ten minutes earlier. Had she forgotten to lock the door? He scolded himself for leaving her; he'd never forgive himself if something happened to her. All these thoughts raced through his head as he and Crocker raced to Kristin's room.

A few short moments later, they were in front of Kristin's door. Nathan tried opening the door but found it was still locked. He was both relieved and confused to discover that. He pounded on the door.

"Kristin, Sweetheart, it's me! Open the door, Honey!"

Nathan heard the lock being released; he immediately pushed the door open, seeing a very frightened Kristin, who ran into his arms when she saw him. He could feel her body trembling with fear. He tried to calm her. "What happened, Honey?" he asked quietly.

Kristin could barely speak. She merely pointed to the bathroom indicating that something horrible lie beyond the door leading into it.

Nathan released her and he and Crocker cautiously looked in the bathroom. As they both saw what had so horribly frightened Kristin, Crocker uttered an "Oh my God!" and Nathan stared in disbelief. On the mirror, someone had written the words: I'M WATCHING YOU!-in blood.

Nathan turned back to Kristin. "We're getting you out of here, now!" He put an arm around her and led her out of the room. "Crocker, alert Agents Duncan and Watson about this; the forensics team is supposed to be in the lab."

"Aye, Captain."

Nathan led Kristin to his quarters, realizing that this wasn't merely random. Kristin was truly being targeted. Now the question was-why?

Duncan had just instructed his forensic team to search all labs and offices and was on his way to meet Jeanine. However, he was interrupted by Chief Crocker.

"Excuse me, Agent Duncan? We just discovered something disturbing in Dr. Westphalen's quarters."

Duncan sighed. This case was going from bad to worse. "Lead the way, Chief."

After searching Dr. Westphalen's room and taking pictures, Duncan was finally able to find Jeanine. He knocked on the door to her room.

"Agent Duncan, come in please." Jeanine greeted him.

"Hi, I'm sorry it's later than I expected. It's been a busy morning. I was wondering if you could help me find Alex now." Duncan said.

"No problem. His room's on C-deck. Follow me." Jeanine said.

A few moments later, Jeanine and Agent Duncan arrived at Alex's room. Jeanine knocked and a young man bearing a striking resemblance to Mateo answered.

"Hi." Jeanine said. "This is the NCIS agent. Remember, I told you he was going to want to speak with you about Mateo."

Alex nodded as he stepped back to allow Jeanine and Agent Duncan to enter.

"Alex, this is Agent Duncan." Jeanine said.

"Do you mind if I ask you some questions about Sarah Lawrence and Mateo Alvarez?" Duncan asked him.

"No, Sir."

Jeanine realized it was her time to leave them alone. "I'll see you later." she said to Alex as she left the room.

Once they were alone, Duncan asked, "So, you and Mateo are cousins?"

"Yes, Sir. We grew up together in Mexico."

"Yes, he mentioned you lived together. Did he have a good childhood?" Duncan asked.

"His father died when he was young. He and his mother moved in after that happened. Other than that, I think we had a good childhood." Alex answered.

"Did Mateo have a bad temper?"

"Sometimes. I think we all have a temper with some things."

"Did Mateo ever get violent when it came to Sarah?"

"I don't really know. Jeanine told me that Sarah told her that Mateo hit her once. I don't really know. I never saw any bruises or anything on her." Alex answered.

"So you didn't know Sarah that well?"

"I wouldn't say that. We were all friends. Mateo, Sarah, Jeanine, and I. We spent our free time together. There was nothing out of the ordinary."

"So you knew she was pregnant?" Duncan asked.

Alex nodded. "Mateo was pretty upset with her because she didn't want the baby."

"Did he threaten her?"

"I don't really know. He never said anything to me, and I never witnessed anything."

"Do you know why she didn't want the baby?"

"Because she thought it would get in the way of their careers. She didn't want a baby to ruin their positions on the seaQuest." Alex explained.

"Did you see Mateo on the day Sarah was murdered?"

Alex shook his head. "We had a problem with the temperature gages on the boat, so I was pretty busy that day."

"Did you see Sarah?"

"Briefly. She was on her way to the labs for her shift."

"Do you think Mateo killed her?" Duncan asked.

"I'm not really sure, Sir."

"Do you think your cousin is capable of murder?"

"I think anyone is capable of murder if given the opportunity and a reason to do so."

Duncan thought for a moment. Then, he said, "Thank you for your time. I think I have everything I need from you."

With that, Duncan left.

Duncan headed to the ward room. His head was spinning. There was so much information to go over. He needed to collect his thoughts and go over the evidence. Normally, this was a process that he would do with Watson, but considering he was preoccupied at the moment, Duncan had no choice but to go it alone.

He sat down and started reading over the notes he'd taken over the course of the day. He read over Jeanine's statement first; he focused on the fact that she was the only one who knew Sarah intimately. Out of all the other witnesses, she was the only one who seemed to know the sordid details of her life. Then, there was the fact that Jeanine said that Sarah had been cheating on Mateo. Therefore, she did not know if he was the father. Had Mateo found out?

Duncan decided he needed his forensic team to determine the paternity of the fetus through DNA testing. Then, he continued going through the rest of the evidence. Although mostly circumstantial, all evidence seemed to point to Mateo. And, without any other leads, it seemed this kid was going to take the fall for it.

Duncan sighed and left the ward room to speak with his forensic team.

Nathan held Kristin close, not wanting to let her go. He had finally gotten her calm, and he wanted to check on Lucas. However, he was worried that if he left her, something horrible would happen to her. He couldn't handle losing her.

"Nathan, it's OK." Kristin told him. "I'm find now; I feel much better." Although it wasn't the truth, she didn't want Nathan or anyone else putting their work on hold for her.

"Well, I don't." Nathan admitted. "Besides, you're still shaking."

Kristin sighed. "Look, Chief Crocker made sure that one of his men is guarding the room right now; I'll be fine if you go for a while. Besides, I know you've been worried about Lucas is taking all of this. He has no idea why the lab is closed again; someone needs to explain it to him. I certainly wouldn't be any help in that right now."

Nathan nodded. He knew that, logically, she was correct. He tried to push his irrational fears aside. "After I get back, I want to see if Dr. Mitchell would come and speak with you. I think she could help you deal with this."

Kristin nodded. "I need someone to help me deal with this." Then she added, "I'm really scared, you know."

"I know," Nathan said as he wrapped her in a tight hug, "but we're going to make sure you are protected every second from now on. It'll be alright." Then, he gave Kristin a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you in a little while, OK? I love you, Sweetheart."

"I love you too. Hurry back, OK?"

"I will. Just stay here. Try and get some rest." She looked exhausted, Nathan noted, so a nap might help her.

Kristin nodded as Nathan left. She decided that rest sounded like a good idea. As she laid down, she wished that perhaps this was all a nightmare and that she would wake up soon. But, she knew it was reality and hoped and prayed that it would be over soon. She fell into a restless sleep.

Kristin didn't know how long she'd been asleep when she heard knocking. She wasn't ready to wake up, but the knocking wouldn't stop. She got up and answered the door.

"Katie?" Kristin said as she opened the door for Commander Hitchcock.

"Doc, are you alright?" Katie asked as she entered the room.

"Yes, I'm fine now. How did you know?" Kristin asked.

"It's a small boat; I wanted to check on you as soon as I got off duty."

"Is it that late already?" Kristin said aloud, "I've been asleep while Nathan went to check on Lucas." Then a thought suddenly came to her. "Katie, how did you get past the guard?"

"What guard?" Katie asked, confused.

Kristin's heart sank. "There was supposed to be a guard outside the door."

"Maybe he had to use the restroom?" Katie suggested.

Kristin nodded, "Maybe you're right." However, she had an uneasy feeling as all her fears came rushing back to her. "Uh, Katie, would you mind staying with me for a while?"

"Not at all. The captain should be returning soon, right?"

Kristin tried to remember when Nathan left. Considering the time now, he had been gone for around three hours. Three hours! What in the world was taking so long? She tried not to jump to conclusions. She had to remain calm, she scolded herself. She nodded, "Of course." But, she silently prayed that everything was truly fine.


	8. A Disease of the Mind

**Chapter 8**

Nathan hadn't realized how long he had been with Lucas. The kid was really confused; Nathan was trying to help him understand what was going on without trying to scare him. The problem was there were so many rumors flying around that everyone was scared. And the reality of what was really going on _was_ scary.

"So the doctor's alright now?" Lucas asked, his voice laced with concern, after Nathan had explained the whole story to him. He only told the boy that the doctor was threatened with a note, however. He certainly wasn't about to tell him that bodily organs were being left in boxes for people to find, at least not yet. He didn't want to frighten him.

"She's fine, Lucas. She's in my room, and we have a guard outside the door. We're going to make sure nothing happens to her."

"Do you think I can see her?" Lucas asked. He cared about Kristin as much as Nathan did.

"Not today. She's had a rough day, and she's exhausted. How about you wait until tomorrow, alright?" Nathan asked.

Lucas nodded. He understood, and he knew the captain would take care of her.

"Don't worry. I'll tell you were asking about her. That will make her feel better," Nathan told him. This made Lucas smile. "You think you're going to be alright now?"

"Yeah. I didn't realize we'd been talking so long. No wonder I'm starving. It's dinnertime."

"So it is," Nathan said. "I guess I'd better be going."

"Thanks, Captain."

"Anytime."

As he left Lucas' room, he looked at his watch. Kristin must be worried sick, he thought. He grabbed his PAL and buzzed her.

"Hello? Nathan?" she answered.

"Yes, it's me. How are you holding up?"

Kristin breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God! I was getting worried. You've been gone such a long time, and then Katie stopped by for a visit and said there was no one guarding the room. I'm having her stay with me until you get back. Didn't Crocker tell him to stay put?"

"I thought he did; I'm going to have to find out. Are you and Katie going to be alright?"

"I guess we don't have much of a choice." Then Kristin realized that it sounded a little rude; it wasn't Nathan's fault. She added, "We'll be fine."

"I promise I'll come back there as soon as I can." And Nathan cut the connection before Kristin could say anything more.

"Please hurry back," she silently thought as she turned back to Katie forcing a smile to make her believe all was well.

Duncan was going over the results of the findings with the forensic team. Although there were no fingerprints or DNA found on Sarah Lawrence's body, there was a small partial print found in the lab. There were no fingerprints found in Dr. Westphalen's room or on the box containing the kidney. The box containing the uterus also showed no fingerprints.

Duncan asked the forensic medical examiner, Dr. Lawton, "Is it possible to do a paternity test on the deceased fetus?"

"We can do that through DNA testing. Who are we testing for paternity?"

"Ensign Alvarez."

"We're going to need a cheek swab from him, something to compare the DNA of the fetus to him," explained Dr. Lawton.

"Right, of course. I'll have Watson escort him down here. We're going to need to compare his fingerprints to the partial print anyway."

Nathan called Crocker on his PAL.

"Crocker, we have a problem. It seems the crewman you had guarding Kristin has disappeared," Nathan said.

"Damn," came Crocker's response, "I told him to radio me or someone else if he had to leave. I'm sorry, Cap. I'll figure this one out."

"Let me know as soon as you do."

With that, Nathan headed back to his quarters.

Duncan arrived back at Mateo's room. He and Watson had been waiting patiently.

"Mateo, we are going to need do some DNA testing on you," Duncan explained, "We're going down to the lab. We're also going to need your fingerprints."

Mateo said nothing; he simply nodded. At least he was being cooperative.

After a few moments, they all arrived in the lab.

Finally, Mateo asked, "Why do you need this DNA sample?"

Duncan paused. He wasn't sure what to say. He debated telling him it was just because they found foreign DNA at the crime scene, but he decided to tell him the truth.

"We want to see if you are really the baby's father," Duncan said simply.

Mateo only nodded, but he didn't seem surprised as Duncan expected.

"Did you_ know _Sarah was sleeping with someone else?"

Mateo sighed. "I had my suspicions, but I couldn't tell for sure. She never told me otherwise, but something in her behavior changed."

Duncan only nodded; he wasn't going to press the issue anymore. With that, Dr. Lawton swabbed Mateo's cheek. After that, Duncan took his fingerprints.

"Watson, you can take Ensign Alvarez back to his quarters; I'll come and meet the both of you later," Duncan said.

With that, Watson and Mateo left again. Although the DNA test would take twenty-four hours to analyze and determine paternity, Duncan was able to examine the fingerprints right away. After checking, re-checking, and double checking again, there was no denying that Mateo's prints were a perfect match to the partial found at the crime scene.

"Damn," Duncan thought miserably. He really didn't want this kid to be guilty. Even with the evidence right in front of him, he didn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. But, with no other leads in the case, it seemed Mateo Alvarez was going to take the blame, guilty or not.

Nathan arrived back at his quarters to find the guard back at the door.

"Lieutenant Douglas, where were you before? Do you know that you scared the doctor half to death because you left your post?," Nathan demanded, perhaps a little rudely.

"I-I'm sorry, Sir," the lieutenant stammered, "i-it's just that it was dinnertime; I was only gone for fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes when something could have happened in that time. The point is to keep her protected at _all _times; didn't Chief Crocker make that clear to you?"

"He did, Sir. I'm sorry; it won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Nathan said while taking out his PAL again to let Crocker know what was going on.

"I'm sorry, Cap. I'll have a nice long talk with Douglas," Crocker responded.

"Thank you, Chief."

Nathan sighed; at least it was nothing worse. He opened the door to his room and walked in; Kristin was waiting alone. Nathan noted that, although she still looked frail, she did not look as tired. As soon as she saw him, she ran into his arms.

"It's OK, Baby. I'm here," Nathan said.

"I was so worried," Kristin said.

"Katie left, huh?," he asked as they sat down.

"As soon as she realized the guard was back, she left me to rest. I think she was hungry," Kristin said. "Is Lucas alright?," she asked with concern. Nathan couldn't believe her. Even with all the trauma she'd been through the past couple days, she was still able to think of others.

"He's a little shaken up, but he'll be fine. He wants to see you; I told him tomorrow would be a better time to stop by," Nathan explained, and then noticing the worried look on her face, he added, "Don't worry about him, Kristin. I didn't tell him about the 'gift'. I told him that you were threatened; that's all he knows. He's fine; I promise."

"You're sure?"

"Would I lie to you?"

Kristin shook her head. Nathan put an arm around her and held her for short time. The quiet moment was interrupted by his stomach growling, loudly.

Nathan and Kristin both started laughing. Nathan was glad to see her laugh, something that she hadn't done since this started really. "I haven't eaten all day," he said sheepishly. "Are you hungry?"

Kristin shook her head. When she was worried or upset, she couldn't eat.

"Kristin," Nathan said with concern, "you need to keep your strength up. Can you _try_ to eat something-for me?"

Kristin reluctantly agreed, "Alright." She just wasn't too fond of throwing up and was worried that was what would happen if the day continued on the same course.

"Besides," Nathan said, "aren't you always hounding on me and Lucas and other members of the crew to make sure we eat? Now you need to take your own advice."

"Alright, I get it," Kristin said, throwing up her hands. "You've convinced me."

"And after we eat, we'll stop by and see Dr. Mitchell, alright?," Nathan said.

Kristin nodded. Then, she said, "Thank you, Nathan. I don't know how I would be handling this without you."

"Anytime, Sweetheart, anytime."

With that, Nathan placed an arm around her shoulders, and the pair headed to the mess hall.

Duncan headed back up to Mateo's room. He had feelings of regret for what he was about to do. He just wasn't sure why yet.

He opened the door with his handcuffs ready. "Mateo Alvarez, you are under arrest for the murder of Sarah Lawrence."


	9. Pawns in a Deadly Game

**Chapter 9**

Nathan couldn't believe what he was told. His quiet dinner with Kristin was interrupted by Agents Duncan and Watson; they had solved the murder it seemed. Nathan just did not expect that it would be Ensign Alvarez. He just didn't seem like a murderer, but then, did anyone ever seem like a murderer? Mateo was confined to the brig until Watson and Duncan could escort him upworld to bring him to justice.

Although the murder was solved, Nathan was not taking any chances with Kristin. He insisted on her staying in his room, at least for the night. She was still shaken up, even after a session with Dr. Mitchell, although she said she felt fine. Nathan knew better, however. And, Kristin was thankful for it, although she didn't want to admit it.

After an extremely exhausting day for both of them, they retired as soon they returned to Nathan's room.

"Everything's going to be alright now," Nathan soothed Kristin as they both laid down on his bunk; she was cuddled close to him, her head lying on his chest as he held her.

Kristin nodded, but didn't speak. She was just eager for the day to be over. Soon, she fell into a deep sleep, and Nathan followed shortly after.

Nathan's rest was interrupted, hours later, by a shrill scream. Nathan shot up, knowing who the scream was from-Kristin. She was having one hell of a nightmare, it seemed. She was tossing and turning, and she was screaming, "no". Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. Although Nathan was relieved it was only that, he didn't like seeing her that way. He tried waking her up.

"Kristin," he said as he shook her gently, "Kristin, wake up, Honey."

After a few moments of this, Kristin immediately shot up in bed. Nathan instinctively wrapped his arms around her as Kristin cried into his shoulder. She was trembling, so Nathan rocked her gently, rubbed her back and whispered gentle, soothing words to her. It was at this moment that Nathan finally realized how much Kristin had truly been affected by all of this. After a while, he finally got her calmed down.

"Do you want to talk about it?," Nathan asked her.

Kristin shook her head. "I just want to go back to sleep, as long as you hold me."

"I'll never let go," Nathan promised. Although he wanted to know what she had dreamed about, he didn't press the issue either. And soon, they were both back to sleep without encountering any other interruptions.

Duncan woke up early; part of him expected, even hoped, that there would be some kind of strange occurrence during the course of the evening. Not that he wanted a murder to occur, quite the opposite. However, he believed Mateo Alvarez was innocent, even though the evidence did not reveal that, and he wanted something, anything to happen to prove it otherwise. If something happened while Mateo was in the brig, that might prove his innocence. But, nothing happened. It had been a calm, quiet night, Duncan thought a little bitterly. Sadly, he had to come to terms with the fact that Mateo did do this unspeakable act.

Once it was a reasonable hour, Duncan knocked on Watson's door.

"It looks like we can be getting ready to leave soon," Duncan said.

"Listen, did Dr. Lawton get those results on the paternity test," Watson asked.

Duncan shook his head. "Hopefully, by we'll know by the time we leave, not that I think it will change the outcome of anything, though."

"You still don't think he did it, do you?" Watson asked.

"No, I just can't shake the feeling that this kid is getting a raw deal. I guess it's just the human in me wanting to believe in the greater good of humanity, but the cop in me knows that is never the case."

With that, they went to alert the rest of the forensics team that they would be leaving sometime that day.

Nathan awoke with relief that no other tragedies had occurred overnight. Kristin was still asleep; he carefully got out of bed, making sure not to disturb her and got ready for the day. Perhaps things could get back to normal now. He was actually looking forward going to the bridge. Although the seaQuest would most likely encounter some distress call or a tragedy, it would be somewhere other than there, and that felt refreshing. Of course, Nathan was not wishing tragedy on anyone, but he was looking forward to righting the injustice of the world, as he always did.

As he was getting dressed, he heard Kristin stir. "Good morning, Sweetheart," he said to her.

"Hi," she mumbled sleepily. Nathan walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How do you feel this morning?" he asked with concern.

"Better," she answered. Nathan looked her over trying to determine if she was telling him the truth. Nathan knew she would never intentionally deceive him, but she had a habit of trying to appear stronger than she really was, especially under the circumstances. "What?" she asked when she saw how he was looking at her.

"Nothing; I was just trying to make sure you really are feeling better."

"Would I lie to you?" she quipped, remembering his words from the previous night.

"Touché." Nathan answered. Then, he added, "Not on purpose."

"Well, I'm not lying. I feel better knowing that the murderer has been caught. Maybe things can get back to normal around here now."

Nathan nodded. He said, "Yes, well I am glad that the murder has been solved, but I am not glad about who the murderer turned out to be. It's just that Mateo is so young, and he just doesn't seem like the type of person to do that."

"Well, it happens. I know it's sad, but we just need to move forward now."

Nathan was relieved in the positive change in her. Although he knew she may need another session or two with Dr. Mitchell, he knew she'd be alright now.

"I can't wait to get back to work," Kristin said. Then she added, "And wear my own clothes." She motioned at the shirt of Nathan's she wore to sleep in being that she was unable to bring any of her own things to Nathan's room.

"Hey, I think you look good in my clothes," Nathan said.

Kristin chuckled, "Well, thank you, but I think the rest of the crew might question it. If you don't mind, I'm going to head back to my room now. I think it's safe now."

Nathan agreed it was for the best. "I can't say I didn't enjoy having you here, though."

Kristin gave him a passionate kiss. "Thank you."

And, with that, Kristin borrowed Nathan's robe and put it on over the shirt. "I'll bring these back to you later."

"No problem."

And with that, she was gone.

Throughout the course of the day, both normalcy and relief returned to the crew of the seaQuest. Agents Duncan and Watson and the rest of the forensics team prepared to leave. As Sam Duncan was packing, Dr. Lawton knocked on his door.

"Sam, I have the results of that DNA test," he said.

"What are they?" Sam asked.

"Mateo Alvarez was not the father."

"That's what I thought," Duncan answered. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"Tell the rest of the team we are leaving within the hour," Duncan told him.

"Will do." And with that he left.

Duncan went next door to Watson's room to make sure he was packed. Then, they headed to the bridge to bid their goodbyes to Nathan and collect their perpetrators.

But, all were oblivious to the real murderer, watching, waiting and just biding time until the right moment to strike again.


	10. The Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 10**

After a few weeks, the incident was almost forgotten by most members on the seaQuest. Everyone got back into their old routines. They were comfortable; little did anyone know it was just an illusion, an illusion that would soon come to an end. But, for now everyone was oblivious to this except for the one person silently planning the demise of a select few. But not yet. No, it was too soon.

Even Nathan had no idea anything was amiss. He was carrying as normal just like anyone else. What reason was there not to? He got ready, looked at his watch, and noticed he had enough time to see his favorite gal before heading to the bridge. He darted as quickly as he could to Kristin's room, hoping to catch her before she headed to the labs.

Nathan knocked, and Kristin greeted him with a smile, her hair still wet from a shower.

"Well, you're up early," she said.

"That's because I missed you," he said, planting a hungry kiss on her lips which left both of the gasping for air.

"Hmmm," Kristin said in a husky voice, "if you keep that up, neither one of us will be leaving this room for quite a while."

Nathan said nothing but kissed her again. Then, he broke the kiss and whispered in her ear, "I think we have enough time for a quickie. I'm game if you are."

Kristin laughed in response, but untied her robe to show that she _was_ game.

Later that day, Nathan was able to meet Kristin for lunch. "How are you feeling?" he whispered to her.

"Wonderful," she whispered back.

"Me too," Nathan said with a smile.

The pair chuckled. After a few moments of light flirting, Kristin wanted to speak with Nathan seriously about her daughter coming to visit the seaQuest.

"Nathan, do remember what we spoke about a few weeks ago?"

"Kristin, we spoke about a lot of things a few weeks ago; you'll have to refresh my memory," he said.

"About Jasmine coming to visit."

"Oh," Nathan said, "I need to speak with Noyce about that yet. When is her school break?"

"Next week. And, if you want me to speak with him, I will. Besides, Jasmine wanted to do a paper for school on the seaQuest, so Bill may be more willing to let her knowing that. And, it will be good for Lucas."

"Yes, I know your thoughts on that."

"You still think it's a bad idea, don't you?"

"No, it''s not that; it's just that maybe this isn't the safest place for her, considering..." his voice trailed off.

Kristin knew what he was referring to, however, and said, "Nathan, everything's fine now, right? The killer was caught, end of story. So, there's no reason to worry."

Nathan nodded, "You're right. I was just being paranoid." Then he added, "I'll call and speak with Bill later. I don't think you'll need to speak with him. Plus, do you mind if I have a talk with Lucas? I want to set some ground rules about this visit, if you know what I mean."

Kristin shook her head, "Nathan, you've nothing to worry about. Lucas is a gentlemen."

Nathan snorted, "Yes, now. But then we don't know how he acts when he's around kids his own age. I had a teenage son once too. I _know_ what happens when they around pretty girls."

"Nathan, quit being melodramatic. You need to give the boy credit."

"I _am_ giving him credit, but I want to prevent any...mistakes that might be made."

"You're going to speak to him no matter what I say, aren't you?"

Nathan nodded.

Kristin sighed. "Alright; I'll have a little talk with Jasmine too before she comes aboard, although I don't think she'll need it. But, I know it will make you feel better. Honestly, we were teenagers once too, you know."

"I know, and I remember. _That's_ why I want to speak with Lucas."

Kristin laughed, but both Nathan and Kristin were interrupted when Lucas overheard Nathan's last statement.

"Speak to me about what?" Lucas asked.

"I think that's my cue to leave," Kristin smiled, "I need to go call my daughter." She whispered in Nathan's ear as she sat up, "Good luck, hot stuff."

Nathan blushed at this, but tried not to let it show, as Lucas sat down.

Nathan spoke with Noyce later that afternoon as he promised, and Noyce actually agreed. Nathan figured that he knew that if he said 'no' that Kristin would give him hell, and Nathan knew she would.

As for Lucas, he wasn't sure how to feel about it. He was glad that he would have someone his own age to talk to. However, the lecture the captain gave him; what was that all about? I mean, this was Dr. Westphalen's daughter; he tried to imagine what she would be like, but all he could think of was a miniature Kristin, prim and proper. He didn't know how he could get into any trouble with a girl like that. But, he told the captain he would behave himself to appease him. For the rest of the week, Lucas kept thinking about what kind of girl Jasmine Nelson was, however.

A week later, Lucas found out what type of girl she was. The captain knocked on his door and poked his head in, "Hey, there's someone here I want you to meet," he said to him.

Lucas followed the captain to the launch bay to greet their guest. Kristin greeted and hugged the young girl as she stepped out dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. She looked a lot like Kristin, very petite, but shorter than her mother. She had long auburn hair that curled at the ends and the most gorgeous blue eyes Lucas had ever seen, and a sweet smile.

"Whoa," Lucas said in surprise when he saw her to no one in particular, but the captain heard him.

"You'd better keep that whoa to yourself," he warned him.

"Yes, Cap; I remember," Lucas rolled his eyes a bit. Kristin and her daughter walked over to the two of them.

"Uncle Nathan!" Jasmine said as she ran up to hug him, "It's so good to see you."

Nathan returned the embrace. "You too, kiddo. You've really grown since the last time I saw you."

Lucas waited to be introduced, feeling a little awkward. Kristin noticed the look on his face.

"Jasmine, Sweetheart," Kristin said, "There's someone I want you to meet." She turned Jasmine to Lucas.

"Jasmine, this is Lucas."

"Hi," Jasmine greeted him.

"Hi," Lucas said back. The two teens just stared at each other like two deer caught in headlights.

"Oh no," Nathan thought.

But Kristin gently suggested, "Lucas, why don't you show Jasmine around the boat? I have some matters to attend to in the lab; I'll catch up with you two later, hmm?"

Lucas nodded, and the two teens left.

Nathan couldn't believe what was happening, "Kristin, I thought we talked about this."

Kristin played dumb, "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. We had an agreement."

"No, you had an agreement. I didn't agree exactly. I thought, and still do think, that you are being paranoid. Lucas and Jasmine want to be trusted. Until they give us a reason not to, we need to give them that. You _know_ that." Then she came close to his ear so that only he could hear her, "Besides, this will give us some alone time; maybe we can have more than 'just a quickie'."

Nathan groaned in delight. Maybe Kristin was right. "Alright, you win."

"I always do," she said with a smile, "Come on; I think you can help me with those 'matters' before the kids come and find us." And Nathan obliged.

While Nathan and Kristin were preoccupied, Jasmine and Lucas were getting to know one another on their walk around the boat. Although Jasmine looked like her mother and definitely inherited her brains, she was anything but boring, Lucas found out. In fact, he discovered that he had a small crush on her. Did Dr. Westphalen plan that? Weren't mothers always doing that-setting up their eligible daughters with young men that they knew would make good matches? He wondered if Kristin would do that. But then, he really didn't care at the moment because he truly was having a great time with Jasmine, and she was beautiful too, a winning combination. He made a mental note to thank Dr. Westphalen when he was alone with her.

As Jasmine and Lucas walked to the moon pool, Lucas said, "I want to introduce you to someone special now. He's my best friend here, but you have to promise not to say anything to anyone outside of the boat. This is a top secret experiment, but I think I can trust you."

Jasmine blushed prettily at the last statement. She had a small crush on Lucas as well. "I promise," she said in a lovely melodic British tone similar to that of her mother.

And Lucas introduced Jasmine to Darwin.

"That's brilliant!" Jasmine exclaimed when she heard Darwin speak. "And you designed this program yourself?" she asked.

Lucas nodded, "But, I'm still working out the kinks," he said modestly.

"Well, that's still amazing," she said to him. "I can't believe you do this every day; you are so lucky."

Lucas snorted a bit, "If you say so." Then, he noticed the hurt expression on Jasmine's face. He quickly added, "I really enjoy working with your mom and the captain and the other crew members. It's just the story of why I am here that makes me a little bitter. Sorry if I hurt your feelings a little."

"I'd love to hear about it...that is if you want to tell me. I'm a really good listener," Jasmine said.

Just like her mother, Lucas thought, but he did explain his childhood a bit and how his parents didn't know what to do with him, so that's why he was on the seaQuest.

"It's just that I'm sort of like a prisoner here sometimes. The captain treats me with respect, but he has to set rules down. I'm still a kid when I have to deal with adult situations," he explained.

Jasmine nodded sympathetically. "I am so sorry Lucas. I had no idea."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Being here has it's advantages-like meeting you."

Jasmine blushed hotly in response.

"So, what's your story," Lucas asked, "How is it that you are going to school in England and your mother is here? Do you live with your father?"

Jasmine shook her head. "No, not at all. It's kind of a long story."

"I'm a good listener," Lucas said with one of his charming smiles.

Jasmine laughed a little, "Alright. You win." So, she told him about her childhood. "And, now my father lives in Nevada with my monster-of-a-stepmother and her two evil children."

"You don't get along with them, huh?" Lucas asked.

Jasmine shook her head. "After my father got out of jail, he tried to be a good dad, but our relationship was already strained. And, then after he met my stepmother, he stopped really trying. But, it's alright. I've accepted it. And, it was my choice to stay in England. I'm sure if they wanted my mom to work on the seaQuest, she could have lobbied to allow me to live here as well. However, I really wanted to go to Wendell. It's a great school, and I should be able to graduate next year. Then, it's off to Cambridge."

"You know your mom talks about you sometimes," Lucas said.

Jasmine smiled, "I'm sure she talks about Cynnie more; she was the wild child."

"Yeah, she's mentioned that, but she talks about you too. She's really proud of you."

"I'm proud of her too," then she added, "She's told me a lot about you. Lucas this, Lucas that. She's always telling me how wonderful you are."

Lucas blushed. "Does that make you feel jealous?" he asked.

"Oh no! Not at all! I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad. I just want you to know how much she likes you."

Lucas lightened up, "Yeah, I am pretty loveable, aren't I?"

Both Lucas and Jasmine laughed at this when they were suddenly interrupted.

"Hi, Lucas," Jeanine said to him.

"Oh, hi, Jeanine," Lucas said, "How've you been?"

"I'm doing alright. I just got back to seaQuest from the funeral. Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Dr. Westphalen's daughter, Jasmine." Then, he turned to Jasmine, "This is Jeanine, one of the nurses in the lab."

"Hello," Jasmine said politely.

"Hi," Jeanine said back, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Lucas. Have a good night."

"You too."

And with that, she was gone.

Jasmine asked, "Who died?"

Lucas said, "It's a long story."


	11. Happiness is a Warm Knife

**Chapter 11**

Lucas wasn't sure if he should tell Jasmine about the murder. If Dr. Westphalen had wanted her to know, she would have told her; wouldn't she? But, then, what was the big secret? Why shouldn't she know? So, Lucas told her what he did know about the murder.

"Wow!" Jasmine exclaimed in shock. "Mom never told me about that."

Lucas cringed a bit. Maybe he should not have said anything. "Maybe you shouldn't let her know that you know; maybe she thought you might be afraid to come here or something if you knew."

Jasmine nodded. "Probably; my mother's pretty protective."

Lucas agreed, "I definitely know that."

"Um, speaking of my mother, maybe we should go find out where she is? We've been gone a while."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, they mentioned something about us all eating dinner together. Follow me."

The next morning, Kristin and Jasmine headed to the lab. Lucas was already there. Since Jasmine would be visiting for the next two weeks, Kristin thought that helping in the lab would be a wonderful opportunity. And, Lucas seemed very eager to work with her, so Kristin set the two up with an experiment while she had to go do some paperwork in her office. She promised that she would be back to help them soon.

Kristin sat down at her desk in her office to begin working. A short time later, however, she was interrupted by a knock at her door.

"Come in," she said.

Dr. Mitchell came through the door. "Hello, Doctor. I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to speak with you about one of your nurses."

"Please have a seat," Kristin motioned to the chair across from her desk.

Kathleen obliged. "I-I'm not really sure how to say this, but, under the circumstances, I think I need to break some doctor/patient confidentiality. I've been debating doing so, but I can assure you that I do believe it's necessary."

Kristin nodded encouragingly. Although she did not know Dr. Mitchell all that well, but she did believe she was a moral woman. If she felt it necessary to break some doctor/patient confidentiality, then Kristin trusted her judgment.

Kathleen continued. "With the murder last month, you know Jeanine had a really difficult time with it. Sarah and her were very close. And now-"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jeanine walked in. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Doctor, but these are the files you asked for," she said handed a stack of papers to Kristin.

"Thank you, Jeanine," Kristin said. "Now, if you'll excuse us..."

"Right, sorry," Jeanine said, "Hi, Dr. Mitchell," she said as she left the room.

As she left, Kristin said, "You were saying, Doctor?"

Kathleen tried to collect her thoughts again, "Right, um, like I said, Jeanine had a hard time with the murder. And, now that she has returned, I still don't think she is doing very well-psychologically, that is," she explained. "She came to see me yesterday, and I really think she needs some extra time off. I was wondering if maybe you could talk to her, gently of course, about it?"

Kristin said, "You really think she shouldn't work yet? It's been a month."

Kathleen nodded, "I know, but that is my professional opinion. I cannot tell you what we spoke of, of course, but I really do not think she is mentally stable right now."

"Alright," Kristin agreed, "I'll speak with her and ask her to take some time off. When do you think she can return?"

"I'll have to let you know. I think after a few more sessions, but I have to be sure."

Kristin nodded. "Yes, well, we'll be in touch then."

Kathleen stood up to leave. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," Kristin said as Kathleen left her office.

Kristin sighed. Now came the hard part. She knew that working helped Jeanine keep her mind off of things; Kristin, of all people, knew how important that was in times of stress. Jeanine's work seemed as impeccable as ever, but if Dr. Mitchell felt her unstable, Kristin would honor that.

She stepped into the lab and said, "Jeanine, Dear? Can I speak with you privately please?"

Jeanine nodded.

Once they were in Kristin's office, Kristin said, "Jeanine, I think maybe you need some time off."

"But, I just got back!"

"I know, and I want you to know it's nothing personal. It's just that we think that maybe you need some time to-"

"We? Is that what you and Dr. Mitchell were talking about before?" Jeanine asked. "That's not fair."

Kristin sighed. "Please don't get upset. When the people we love most leave us, it can be difficult to deal with it. Dr. Mitchell thinks that if you took some time off of work, you can deal with it a little better," she explained.

Jeanine was silent for a moment. "Do you understand?" Kristin asked her.

Jeanine nodded. "How long is this for?"

"It depends-on you, I suppose. Just keep your appointments with Dr. Mitchell, and I'm sure you will be back to work before you know it. We just want to make sure your healthy, both physically and mentally. Look, the murder was hard on everyone here; it's not just you," Kristin explained.

"Maybe, but no one else has to miss work," Jeanine said as she left.

Kristin stood there for a few moments. She just hoped that Jeanine would get back to normal. With those thoughts, she had to get back to her own work. She finished her paper work and went to check on Jasmine and Lucas. They were huddled together closely looking into a microscope and talking quietly over what they were seeing. Kristin smiled to herself. They were getting along wonderfully, something she knew would happen. And, if they happened to start dating, she also thought that would be wonderful. She walked up to them.

"How are you two doing here?" she asked gently.

Lucas stood up at attention, almost as though he was a naughty child being caught taking cookies before dinner. Kristin almost laughed.

"Lucas, you can relax," she whispered to him so that Jasmine didn't hear.

Lucas nodded; he seemed more at ease. Kristin decided that she would need to speak with him later, but privately, to let him know that she would be delighted if he dated her daughter. He didn't need to feel as though he was doing something wrong.

"We're doing wonderfully, Mom," Jasmine said. "I never imagined I'd be doing experiments on the seaQuest."

Kristin put an arm around her shoulders. "So you're having a good time then?"

"The best; I'm so glad I came."

"Me too," Kristin said. Lucas thought the same thing, but didn't say it.

For the rest of the day, the three worked together wonderfully. They were able to meet Nathan for lunch, and, then, they went back to the lab to continue working. As dinnertime rolled around, Lucas left to meet the captain while Jasmine helped her mother file last minute paper work.

"Oh shoot!" Kristin exclaimed as they were just finishing up.

"What's the matter?" Jasmine asked.

"I forgot to give a message to Dr. Mitchell. I was supposed to tell her this earlier," she said as she wrote a note.

"I can bring it to her," Jasmine volunteered. "Lucas showed me where all the offices are. Then, you can finish what you need."

Kristin smiled. She'd forgotten how helpful her daughter was. "Thank you so much, Sweetie. That would be a big help." She handed the note to her.

"I'll be right back," Jasmine said as she left.

A few moments later, Kristin heard a scream, a feminine scream! Her heart jumped into her throat as she ran to Dr. Mitchell's office, worried that the scream came from Jasmine.

"Jasmine," she called as she ran.

Jasmine was already running back to Kristin's office. "Mom!" she yelled and ran into her arms.

Kristin noticed she was trembling. "What's the matter, Honey?"

Jasmine was near tears. "Dr. Mitchell-s-she-she's dead!"

Kristin held her frightened daughter in disbelief. "Oh no!" she thought, "not again!"


	12. See No Evil

**Chapter 12**

If there had not been a murder just a month before this, Kristin might have thought her daughter was mistaken. But, Kristin knew better, and she didn't even have to see Dr. Mitchell's office to know that it was a horrible scene. She grabbed her PAL and buzzed Nathan.

When Nathan heard Kristin's trembling voice on his PAL, he knew there was something terribly wrong.

"N-nathan, you need to come to the lab," she said.

"What's the matter?" he could hear Jasmine crying in the background.

"T-there's been another murder!"

"I'll be right there," he said.

Nathan turned to Lucas, who was just sitting down in the mess hall next to him. "Stay here," he said firmly.

"What's going on?"

Nathan sighed. He didn't want to alarm him. "You'll find out soon enough; there's an emergency. Just stay away from the lab, OK?"

Lucas was confused, but nodded. The captain was acting just like he did a month ago. Lucas had a feeling he knew what was happening. He just hoped he was wrong.

Nathan hurried to the lab to find a very distraught Kristin and Jasmine.

Kristin looked at him and said simply, "You're going to need to call your old friends, Duncan and Watson."

Nathan nodded grimly. He had a sinking feeling. "Who?" he asked.

Kristin mouthed, "Dr. Mitchell."

Hours later, Duncan, Watson, and their forensic team arrived. Nathan greeted them.

"So we meet again, Captain," Duncan said.

"Excuse me for not being ecstatic," Nathan said.

"Understandable. So, do you want to share any details with me?"

Nathan shook his head. "The only one who's seen the body is Dr. Westphalen's daughter; she's visiting for a couple of weeks."

"Oh God," Duncan exclaimed, "That must have been a hell of a thing to see. How old is she?"

"Fifteen."

"Jesus! Is the poor kid alright?" Duncan asked with concern.

Nathan sighed. The truth was he really didn't know. He'd been so busy making announcements, making sure the labs were closed yet once again, making sure no one disturbed the evidence in Dr. Mitchell's office, and had basically been running around like a chicken with its head cut off since the body had been discovered. Kristin had taken Jasmine to her room; that was the last he'd seen of them for quite some time. He'd sent Lucas to go sit with them until he could check on them.

"I'm sure she'll be OK when this all blows over," Nathan said, but he didn't really believe it. "Um, do you need me to show you the way?"

"That won't be necessary; I suppose we just need to be shown to our rooms, and then, we'll get started."

"No problem."

A short time later, Duncan, Watson, and the rest of the forensic team were surveying the situation in Kathleen Mitchell's office. The poor woman was murdered in similar fashion of the first murder. She'd had her stomach sliced open, uterus removed; a very bloody and gruesome scene. Her throat had been slit, just like Sarah's had been. Again, it bore remarkable similarities to the Jack the Ripper murders.

"Do you want to call this a copycat yet?" Watson asked Duncan.

Duncan thought for a moment as they were collecting evidence. "Maybe...but-"

Dr. Lawton interrupted, "This is interesting, Agents. Her eyes have been removed."

This was something new, something not done in 'The Ripper' murders. Watson thought for a moment.

"In the Jack the Ripper murders, you know about the letters?" he asked Duncan.

Duncan nodded. Watson continued.

"The first letter is referred to as the 'Dear Boss' letter. The Ripper's first victim was named Mary Eddowes; in the letter, which was believed to be written by the murderer, threatens to cut the lady's ears off. When they found Eddowes' body three days after the letter was received, one of her ears was partially cut off. However, it was determined it may have happened by accident in the struggle. Anyway, maybe this has something to do with that?"

"How so?" Duncan asked.

"Well, instead of her ears, her eyes were removed."

Duncan thought for a moment. Then he said, "Watson, find all the information you can on the Jack the Ripper murders. It's obvious the two murders are connected. We need to figure out what the game is here."

"Right," said Watson. Then he said, "So that means that kid is innocent?"

"It looks that way," Duncan said. "Now we just need to be one step ahead of the real murderer, before he kills again."

As evening rolled around, Nathan was able to check on Kristin, Jasmine, and Lucas. He was worried again, worried about all of them. Although he did not yet know the details of the murder, he was worried about their well-being because of what happened to Kristin after the first murder. And, being that there was a second murder, one could conclude that the murderer was still at large-on _his_ boat!

He decided not to take any chances. He wanted to make sure all of them were protected-in case.

He knocked on the door. Lucas answered. "Oh, Cap! It's great to see you; we were worried."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Can I come in?"

Lucas stepped aside to reveal Kristin and Jasmine sitting on Kristin's bunk. Kristin had her arm around Jasmine's shoulders, holding her close. They both looked as though they'd been crying, although there were no fresh tears now.

Nathan walked over to them and kneeled in front of them. "Hey," he said gently, "how are you two doing?"

They both had weary looks on their faces. "We're alright," Kristin said, but she didn't sound very convincing. He wrapped both Kristin and Jasmine in a hug. Then, he said, "None of you are staying alone tonight. _All _of you are staying in my room."

Kristin nodded as Nathan released them. He gently led Kristin over to the other side of the room so he could talk to her privately. "We're not taking any chances this time," he explained.

"Jasmine's scared to death...and so am I," she admitted. "I never should have let her come here; you were right."

"You can't blame yourself; we all thought it was safe," Nathan said. "I'm going to make sure you three are guarded when I can't be with you; I want you three together whenever possible though."

Kristin nodded. She knew Nathan was right.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that made all of them jump. After a moment, there was another knock, louder and more persistent than the first.

Nathan walked to the door to open it, but as he opened it, there was no one there.

Instead, he found another beautifully wrapped present, similar to the one Kristin had received the first time.

He shuddered to think what might be in it. He heard Kristin come up behind him, "Get back in the room," he said firmly.

"Nathan, what is it?" she asked.

"Get back in the room," he said again as he stepped out of the room and looked down either side of the corridor to see if he could see any trace of who may have left the present, but he saw no one. Kristin hadn't listened to Nathan's warning; she had seen the package.

"Oh God!" she uttered as she opened the card.

"Damn it, Kristin!" Nathan said as he rushed back to her, "I told you to get back in the room!" He quickly changed his demeanor when he noticed how all the color had drained from her face. "What does it say?" he asked.

With trembling hands, she handed him the card. A photograph of Kathleen Mitchell's face, post-mortem fell out of the card onto the floor. It was a disturbing photo with empty eye sockets. Inside the card were the words: SEE NO EVIL. Nathan grabbed the box and pushed Kristin back into the room. He set it on the table.

"No one opens this; understood?"

Everyone nodded. They were all too frightened to even try. Nathan and Kristin were already pretty sure what was in it. Nathan grabbed his PAL to call Duncan.


	13. Speak No Evil

**Chapter 13**

Duncan and Watson headed to Dr. Westphalen's room. From what Nathan described, it did not take a genius to deduce what was in the package.

Duncan knocked on the door; Nathan answered. Duncan handed Watson the package. "We'll be checking the evidence in the lab," Duncan explained to Nathan. Then he asked, "Do you think we could speak privately, Captain?"

"Of course," Nathan said as they stepped into the corridor together. He looked at Duncan expectantly.

"Look, Captain, it's obvious that the two murders were committed by the same person. Dr. Mitchell's was murdered in the same fashion as Sarah Lawrence, uterus removed. This means that-"

"The murderer is still at large," Nathan interrupted.

Duncan nodded. "I believe Ensign Alvarez is innocent."

"Oh, Jesus!" Nathan exclaimed, realizing the urgency of the situation. So much had happened, he hadn't even thought that the two murders were connected until this moment.

"It's obvious that this guy targets women," Duncan said.

"Are you saying it might be a serial killer?" Nathan asked.

Duncan sighed. "I'm not sure yet-three murders, although considered mass murder, does not necessarily fit that criteria, but we aren't going to take any chances either. Therefore, I highly suggest that you put all your crew on high alert, especially the women; they need to be warned, Captain."

"Three murders?" Nathan asked.

"Sarah Lawrence was pregnant, remember?" Duncan said.

Nathan nodded. "What about Kristin? Do you think she's a target?"

"I think _everyone's_ a target," Duncan explained, "but being that this guy keeps sending her body parts, I wouldn't let her out of my sight." Then he said, "Look, Watson and I need to get back to the lab; we'll be in touch with you later."

"Thank you," Nathan said simply. Duncan's words only worried him more, however.

As Nathan stepped back into the room, Duncan stood in the doorway, and motioned for Watson; and with that, Nathan, Kristin, Lucas, and Jasmine were left alone.

Nathan sighed, looking at the three worried faces. He tried to keep the mood light. "So, why don't you and Jasmine pack some things? I'll call Krieg and get some cots brought into my room. Then, we'll head to Lucas' room, and let him pack." Then, he added, "It'll be a slumber party."

Kristin tried to smile, but Nathan could tell her heart wasn't in it. "Nathan, can I speak with you in private?" she asked.

Nathan nodded and the two stepped to the other side of the room so they were out of earshot of the two teens. Meanwhile, Lucas helped Jasmine pack.

"Nathan, what did Agent Duncan say to you?" Kristin whispered.

Nathan didn't want to tell Kristin the truth, not wanting her or anyone more frightened than they ought to be. However, Duncan _did_ say that all the women needed to be warned, especially Kristin.

"He said that all the women on board need to be warned," Nathan said, "and, he said not to let _you_ out of my sight." Nathan put an arm around her shoulder as he spoke to her, "And I don't plan to."

Kristin nodded. She wasn't blind; she knew she was being targeted but couldn't possibly imagine who would want to hurt her...or anyone else on the boat for that matter. "How are you going to get any work done if you're trying to keep an eye on me?" she asked worriedly.

Nathan said, "I've already thought about that. I'm going to have Chief Crocker with you and the kids when I cannot be. I just have to make an announcement to alert all the women on board now."

Kristin lowered her voice even more; she didn't want to scare her daughter or Lucas anymore than they already were. Her voice trembled a bit. "Nathan, I'm scared."

Nathan wrapped her in a tight hug. "So am I, Sweetheart. So am I."

In the meantime, Watson and Duncan were continuing their investigation. Watson was working on his laptop to find as much as he could on 'The Ripper', although he knew a lot about it already. Sometime later, Duncan approached him. "So, what can you tell me?" he asked.

"Well, let's start with the victims. We know they were _all_ women, but Jack the Ripper targeted prostitutes. And, none of them were pregnant," Watson said.

Duncan nodded. "Let's just focus on the similarities right now."

"Well, all the women were murdered in a similar fashion, although some were more mutilated than others. We do know that the first victim, in both cases, had her uterus and kidney removed. Although the uterus in 'The Ripper' case was never recovered, a partial kidney was delivered to the chief of police with a letter. The letter, claimed to be from 'The Ripper', stated that he had eaten part of the kidney. However, forensics were not as advanced at the time; they did determine it _was_ a kidney, but they could not tell if it was even human or from the actual victim. It could have been a hoax as well, not even from 'The Ripper' himself," Watson said.

Duncan nodded, but said nothing. Watson continued.

"Five victims were officially said to be killed by Jack the Ripper. There were also two others, but there is much debate if they were actually killed by him because they were not killed in the same way. The thought was that the actual culprit either died, was imprisoned for some other crime, or left the area. No one really knows. Either way, the last two happened some time after the first five. But, these five all had similar knife wounds to our murders...all had their throats slit and all had similar abdominal cuts. Because of the precision in the wounds, it was thought that 'The Ripper' had a medical background or had been a butcher."

This gave Duncan a thought. "Well, there are no butchers on board, but..."

"There are doctors and nurses," Watson finished his sentence. "So we need to start looking at the medical staff?"

"That's what I was thinking," Duncan stated. "We'd better start going through files and backgrounds."

"On it," Watson said, "but there are over one-hundred science personnel on board. That could take days."

"We don't have days."

Nathan had just finished giving his announcement; everyone on board was on edge. He really didn't like having to tell the women not to go anywhere on board alone; he didn't enjoy threatening everyone's safety and reminding them that they were not safe. But, under the circumstances, it was necessary.

Kristin walked up to him after the rest of the crew began to disperse. "You did well, Captain," she said.

"Then, why don't I feel that way?" he asked.

Kristin sighed. "Because you feel helpless, like you can't protect everyone."

Nathan nodded in agreement. He did feel like a surrogate father to everyone on the seaQuest, and he did care about all his crew. It was his job. And Kristin was absolutely correct. He looked towards the other end of the bridge to where Lucas and Jasmine were with Crocker. Lucas had a protective arm around Jasmine's shoulders. "How are they doing?" he asked., nodding his head towards them. Nathan really hadn't much time to find out himself.

"Lucas is fine; he's just scared, but he's handling it well. I think he's trying to be strong for me..._and_ for her With you not being around, he feels some responsibility, a man-of-the-house sort of thing." She sighed, "I don't want him to feel that way, but I _have _appreciated his strength."

"That's my fault; I asked him to take care of you," Nathan said regretfully. "Do you think I should have a talk with him?"

"Maybe. He needs to be reassured he's done a good job, but you also need to let him know that it's OK to feel afraid."

Nathan nodded. "What about Jasmine?" he asked quietly.

"Um, I'm not really sure. She's definitely shaken up. I think she's holding back a lot; I did offer her some sedatives, but she didn't take them. I know she's been confiding in Lucas," she said with a slight tremble in her voice.

Nathan put an arm around Kristin's shoulders. "Are you sad that your little girl is growing up, confiding in a boy rather than her mother?"

Kristin sighed. "A little, but I'm the one who encouraged it. But, I'm more frightened for them; I don't want them going through anymore trauma."

"No one's getting off the boat until the murderer is found; you know that, right?"

"Yes, I know. _That's_ why I'm worried."

Nathan gave Kristin a small kiss on the forehead. Then, he said, "How about we get something to eat? Maybe that will help us get our minds off of this for a while."

Kristin nodded as they walked towards the kids; they all went to the mess hall together.

Nathan silently prayed that there would be no more unpleasant surprises for the rest of the evening.

:


	14. Hear No Evil

**Chapter 14**

After dinner, Nathan, Kristin, and the kids retired to Nathan's room, with Crocker in tow. After Crocker made sure everything was safe for the four, Nathan relieved him.

"I don't think we'll be needing your services for the rest of the evening, Gator."

"Are you sure, Cap?" Crocker asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll call you if anything changes, but I plan to have a very quiet evening. I'm certain everyone else does too." Nathan silently hoped that the murderer did as well, but didn't mention it.

"Alright," said Crocker, "goodnight."

"Goodnight, Chief. Thank you," Nathan said.

After Crocker left, Nathan made sure he locked the door, just to be on the safe side. He turned to his four guests. "So, does anyone want to watch a movie?" he asked, trying to keep the mood light, especially for Lucas and Jasmine.

"I think that's a good idea," said Kristin.

Lucas said, "As long as it's not a horror film. Can we get some popcorn?"

"I think we can arrange something," Nathan said. "Jasmine, what do you say?"

"Alright," she said, "I guess it would help me get my mind off of things." Nathan was pleased she was willing to join in; she'd had such a rough day.

"Good," Nathan said. "Why don't you three decide on a movie, and I'll go get the popcorn?"

"Nathan, you aren't considering going to the galley alone, are you?" asked Kristin. "I thought that we agreed to stay together."

Nathan sighed. "We did," he agreed. "I'll get Crocker to come with me, alright?" he said to reassure her.

Kristin nodded and managed a small smile.

A short time later, all four were sitting down, eating popcorn, and watching an old comedy. A good laugh was what they all needed.

After the movie was over, Nathan asked, "Do you guys want to watch another one?"

Kristin shook her head. "I, for one, am tired. You all can watch another if you want, but all I want to watch is the inside of my eyelids."

Nathan laughed. "OK, that's one nay; anyone else?"

Lucas looked at Jasmine, trying to decide what she wanted to do. If she said she wanted to stay up, he'd gladly stay up with her. "I'm pretty tired myself," Jasmine said. Lucas nodded in agreement.

"Alright; I guess we turn in," Nathan said. "I'll just bring these bowls to the galley and-"

"Can't it wait 'til morning?" Kristin asked. "Remember, we agreed?" she reminded him. Nathan wasn't used to not being able to walk around his boat freely.

"Right. I forgot; I guess they can wait."

Kristin smiled.

"Uh, why don't you take my bunk?" Nathan suggested. With the kids in the room, Nathan and Kristin had agreed to stick with their discretion rule, so, of course, they wouldn't be sharing a bed.

"Are you sure?" Kristin asked.

Nathan nodded. "The cot will be fine for me."

"Alright," Kristin agreed. The cots didn't look very comfortable, and she was too tired to insist that Nathan should be the one to get the best sleep.

Everyone changed into their pajamas and got ready for bed. When the kids weren't looking, Nathan gave Kristin a quick goodnight kiss. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Kristin whispered back. She walked over to say goodnight to Jasmine and Lucas. Although they were a little too old to be tucked in, Kristin couldn't help doing so this time. And, under the circumstances, the two teens graciously accepted the extra mothering.

"Goodnight you two," Nathan said to Jasmine and Lucas.

"Goodnight," they said in unison.

As Nathan and Kristin climbed into bed, Kristin in Nathan's bunk and Nathan on a cot just beside, Nathan said, "Sleep well."

"I'll try. You too," Kristin said.

"Don't worry, OK? I'm right here; we're all right here. Everything's going to be fine."

Kristin nodded.

Soon they were all asleep. To their relief, there were no unpleasant interruptions after all. Unfortunately, this relief was short-lived because morning was a different story altogether.

Everyone woke up feeling refreshed. They all started getting ready for the day.

"Would Jasmine and I be able to go down to the moon pool today?" Lucas asked.

"I'm not sure, Lucas. The labs are still closed; I'm sure Darwin is fine," Nathan said.

"Yeah, I know," Lucas said, but the disappointment in his voice was evident. Nathan sighed. He knew how difficult it was for him not to be able to walk around seaQuest freely. But, he hadn't really realized how much more difficult it would be for Lucas and the others. For the first time since he'd agreed to be captain of the seaQuest, he regretted the fact that he was there. At this moment, he wanted to be anywhere but there, but he knew everyone else felt the same way.

"We'll just have to play it by ear," Kristin said. Lucas seemed to brighten a little at that. "Hurry up and finish getting ready so we can get to breakfast," Kristin said to her daughter and Lucas. The two teens obliged. This gave Kristin and Nathan some time to speak privately.

"So, what is the plan for today?" Kristin asked Nathan.

"I've thought about it, and I think I want you three on the bridge with me. If my services are needed elsewhere, then I'll call Crocker," Nathan explained.

Kristin nodded. She had to admit she liked this plan much better than she and the kids staying in Nathan's room, not knowing what was going on. Although part of her didn't _want_ to know, another part of her _had_ to know.

A short time later, they were all in the busy mess hall eating breakfast. Although everyone was on edge, the mood was still fairly light; everyone was just more alert.

But, as they were finishing their meal, a scene across the room caught Nathan's attention. Duncan and Watson had come into the mess hall to catch a bite to eat as well, but it their intentions were interrupted by a very distraught Jeanine Taylor. She was speaking with them quietly and looked close to tears. Nathan sighed. This girl really seemed to be having a difficult time, being that Sarah had been her best friend. Although Nathan couldn't hear what she was saying, his curiosity was sparked. He excused himself for a moment and walked over to where they were. Watson and Jeanine were leaving the mess together, but Nathan caught Duncan before he left as well.

"Morning, Agent Duncan. Is there a problem?" Nathan asked.

Duncan sighed. "Unfortunately, yes." Duncan lowered his voice so that no one in earshot would overhear. "It seems there's been another murder, another nurse. Her room was next to Jeanine's, I understand, a Bridget Chapman?"

"Oh, Jesus," came Nathan's reply. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Not at the moment; we need to go assess the situation. We'll be in touch with you later; we have a lot of ground to cover."

Nathan nodded.

With that, Duncan was gone.

Nathan walked back to the table where Kristin and the others were still sitting, but the look on his face told them there was something wrong.

"Nathan, are you alright?" Kristin asked with concern.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," he lied. He would tell Kristin what was going on when he had a chance but didn't want to alarm the kids. "Uh, Lucas, can you and Jasmine take care of the dishes here?" he asked.

"Sure," Lucas said. The two teens cleared the plates as they were asked, but they both exchanged worried glances.

"Nathan," Kristin whispered, "now do you want to tell me the truth?"

Nathan whispered back, "There was another murder, Bridget Chapman."

"Oh my God!" Kristin exclaimed. "I can't believe this."

"Duncan and Watson will be catching up with us later; I think we'll have Crocker stay with the kids. I know I've kept you in the dark with a lot of this, but I think it's time you know the truth," he told her.

Kristin was confused, wondering what Nathan was talking about, but she didn't have time to ask what he meant because Lucas and Jasmine had returned. Kristin managed a reassuring smile for them, noticing their worried glances. "Everything's fine," she told them. The two nodded, feeling some relief. With that, all four of them headed to the bridge.

After an uneventful morning on the bridge, Nathan's PAL finally beeped. It was Duncan. "Captain, can we meet in the wardroom?"

"Yes, we'll meet you in a bit," Nathan said.

He turned to Kristin who had overheard, "Just let me get a hold of Crocker, and we'll go," he said to her.

Once the teens were safely guarded in the captain's quarters, Kristin said, "We'll see you two after our meeting," she assured them.

"Is everything alright, Mom?" Jasmine asked worriedly.

Kristin put an arm around her shoulders. "Everything's fine, Sweetie. Look, I know it's difficult, but don't worry. This is just routine. I promise."

Jasmine nodded and managed a small smile. "Now you and Lucas have fun; maybe he can show you a computer game while we're gone?" Kristin said loud enough so Lucas could hear

"Oh, yeah," Lucas said excitedly. "That'll be fun."

Jasmine nodded in agreement. While the kids were huddled in front of Lucas's laptop with Crocker chaperoning, Nathan and Kristin headed to the wardroom.

Soon, Watson, Duncan, Dr. Lawton, Nathan, and Kristin were all sitting around the table in the wardroom. Duncan started, "Well, Captain, we are officially declaring our perpetrator as a serial killer...and a Jack the Ripper copycat."

"Jack the Ripper?" Kristin repeated in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Agent Duncan. I haven't briefed Dr. Westphalen on all the details," Nathan explained.

"Right," Duncan said. "Doctor," he said to Kristin, "there are many similarities between the murders on the seaQuest and the Jack the Ripper murders; are you familiar with the case?"

"Somewhat," Kristin said.

"If you have any questions, just let us know," Watson said.

Kristin nodded.

"Our latest victim was murdered sometime between 5 and 7 AM this morning. She was murdered in the same fashion as the other two...and in the same fashion of 'The Ripper'. Her throat was slit, she had several stab wounds to the abdominal area, her uterus was removed...and her ears were cut off," Watson explained.

"Oh my God," Kristin said quietly.

"Uh, in 'The Ripper' murders, one of the letters threatened to cut off one of the victim's ears, although it was never actually done," Watson explained.

"And there's one more interesting thing...Bridget's full name, according to her file was Bridget Ann Chapman," Duncan said.

"And 'The Ripper's' second victim's name was Annie Chapman," Watson finished.

"We don't think that's a coincidence," explained Duncan.

"This guy's playing with us," Nathan said miserably.

Duncan nodded. "That's why we have a proposition, Captain; unfortunately, I'm not sure how you'll like it."

"I think I'll agree to anything as long as we catch the bastard," Nathan said.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Captain," Watson said. "Uh, 'The Ripper' had five victims for sure. Since we're dealing with a copycat, and we have four victims already, we can assume there will be a fifth."

"And, of course, we want to do everything we can to prevent that," Duncan explained. "And, since Dr. Westphalen has seemed a target since the beginning, we can only assume that the murderer is going to try and get to her."

"But, we're making sure she's guarded at all times now," Nathan explained.

"I know," Duncan said, "but that isn't good enough. Look, whoever this is, he's watching and waiting. It's someone who knows who does what and when around here. He's going to find a time when you aren't paying attention and strike. I see it all the time."

"So just what are you suggesting?" Kristin asked, terribly frightened by the way they'd been talking. Until this moment, she hadn't really thought of herself as a target. She just thought it was random.

"We set a trap, with Dr. Westphalen as bait," Duncan said.

"Hell no," Nathan said.

Duncan sighed. "Look, Captain, I certainly hope you aren't suggesting we'd intentionally put anyone in harm's way. I can assure you that Watson and I have set up stings before, and no one's ever been hurt. We would all be standing by; we'd arrest the killer before he could do anything to Kristin. You need to trust us," Duncan explained.

Nathan knew Duncan was right, but he definitely didn't like the thought of Kristin being bait. He nodded in agreement.

Duncan looked at Kristin, whose face had gone pale with fright. "So, Doctor, what do you say?"


	15. Along Came a Spider

**Chapter 15**

Kristin felt very uncomfortable with all eyes on her. "Um..." she said.

Nathan placed a gentle hand on her arm. "You don't _have_ to do this if you don't want to," he said to her.

Duncan added, "Think of all the other women on the boat; you'd be a hero."

"C-can I think about it for a minute?" Kristin asked.

"Sure," Duncan said.

Nathan wanted to talk her out of it, but he knew this was a decision Kristin had to make on her own, without his influence. He wasn't particularly keen on the idea, but, at the same time, Duncan _did_ say the murderer may catch them at a weak moment. The possible results were unimaginable to him, something he did not want to think about.

Kristin debated silently for a few moments. Then she asked, "You're sure I'd be safe if I agreed?"

"Well, this is what I was thinking," Duncan explained. "since most of the murders have taken place early in the morning, it is assumed that the women were all attacked when they were alone. So, now that the lab can be reopened, you would be working in the lab late at night...every night until the murderer strikes. Of course, Watson and I will be watching from a concealed area nearby...maybe Dr. Mitchell's office? Then, we come and apprehend him before he can harm you. Like I mentioned, we've done this before. I can assure you that most of the time, it works."

"_Most_ of the time?" Nathan said, "That sounds reassuring."

Duncan sighed. Nathan wasn't being very cooperative, and it wasn't helping his case to get Kristin to agree. "I'm not going to lie, Captain. I am not saying there isn't room for error; but nine times out of ten, everything goes according to plan. The way I see it, there are two choices here; either we do this and be ready for him to strike, or we keep going the way we've been and watch the body count get higher. We aren't going to solve it anytime soon if we choose the latter. This guy's a professional, and he doesn't leave much evidence behind. Sure, he might make a mistake eventually, but at what cost?"

"What if he doesn't come?" Kristin asked.

"Doctor, I can assure you that whoever this is, he knows your habits already. He's been watching you, and we can assume he will continue to watch you for the opportunity to strike," Watson explained.

Kristin took a deep breath. "Alright," she said quietly. "When do we start?"

"Tonight," Duncan said. "Watson and I have a lot of work to do; we'll be setting up hidden cameras and sound equipment. We'll contact you later, OK?"

With that, Duncan, Watson, and Lawton left the wardroom, leaving Kristin and Nathan alone.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked him. She'd noticed Nathan had been silent for some time, and was unsure how to read it.

Nathan shook his head. "No, I'm not angry with you, Sweetheart. I'm just scared."

"Me too," Kristin said, almost in tears.

Nathan wrapped her in a tight hug. "Why did you say yes?"

"Because I don't want to keep living in fear; I don't want _anyone_ living in fear. And, the killer is getting satisfaction knowing that; I just want this to be over with."

"We _all _want that," Nathan said. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I'll be right there with Duncan and Watson; I need to make sure you're safe."

"What are we going to tell the kids?" Kristin asked.

Nathan sighed. He hadn't thought of that. They might be able to keep it from Lucas, but what about Jasmine. Certainly she's going to wonder where her mother is so late at night with a killer on the loose.

"What do you think?" Nathan asked.

"They're going to wonder what's going on; as much as I want to protect them, they _are_ fifteen and seventeen. If we lie, they're going to start asking questions," Kristin said, "So I think it's best if we explain it to them."

Nathan agreed. "As long as we don't tell them about the body part threats."

"I wasn't planning to."

"I suppose we ought to go see how they're doing?" Nathan suggested.

Kristin nodded. And with that, they headed back to Nathan's room to talk to the kids.

By noon that day, the labs had been reopened. Watson and Duncan had expertly hid their 'work' so that no one suspected the area was bugged. Nathan and Kristin explained to Jasmine and Lucas what was going to happen. Lucas took it well, looking at it just like any other mission; it was commonplace to put their lives in danger, and he was certain the captain would make sure she was safe. Jasmine, on the other hand, was quite worried, but she handled it maturely. Nathan took her aside and told her that he would make sure nothing happened to her mother. This made her feel a little better.

Once the labs were open, Kristin, Lucas, and Jasmine went to work, pretending as though everything was normal while Nathan was on the bridge. Crocker was sure to be near the lab, but didn't make it obvious that he was guarding the area. Duncan and Watson set up camp in Dr. Mitchell's office, just in case the murderer would strike during the day, even though it was unlikely to happen with everyone around. However, no chances were going to be taken either.

But, by dinnertime, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, as expected. Even after the shift change, Watson and Duncan stayed in their secret hideout just in case while Kristin, Lucas, and Jasmine went to the mess hall to meet Nathan.

"Hey there," Nathan greeted them. "Everything alright?" he asked.

"So far, so good," replied Kristin. Soon they were all gathered around one of the tables enjoying a meal. The mood was light, which was quite refreshing for all of their moods, considering the trying evening ahead of them.

After they ate, Nathan and Kristin were going to get some sleep so that they would be able to stay up half the night. Lucas asked, "So, while you two are asleep, what do you have planned for us?"

Nathan said, "I thought you two could hang out in your room, Lucas, with Crocker nearby, of course."

"You two just make sure you stay out of trouble," Kristin warned gently.

"We're not planning to get into any; believe me," replied Jasmine.

"You know what I mean," Kristin said, "I don't want to have to worry about your well-being. I've enough on my mind," she added worriedly.

"I know, Mom. We'll be fine," Jasmine assured.

Kristin managed a small smile for the teens' benefits. She hadn't meant to push her worries on them, but she couldn't pretend everything was fine, not when she was so scared. They went back to Nathan's room.

"Now, I want you two back in here by 10:00 PM; the Captain and I shall be leaving about midnight or so," Kristin explained.

The two teens nodded. "We'll be quiet when we come in so that we don't wake you," Lucas said.

"Don't worry about that," Nathan said. "In fact, I'd rather you wake us to let us know you're safe."

"I'll be sure to make a lot of noise, then," Lucas said jokingly.

"Watch it," Nathan said with mock anger.

They all had a little chuckle. With that, Kristin hugged Jasmine and said goodnight; then she gave Lucas a hug as well. A few moments later, Crocker left with the two teens, leaving Kristin and Nathan alone to get some rest.

Jasmine and Lucas played videogames on the Internex for a while. However, the two were soon bored.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Lucas asked.

"I'd like that, but are we allowed?" Jasmine said, looking over at Crocker, who was reading, not really paying much attention to what the two were saying.

"Uh, Chief, can we go for a walk to the moon pool?" Lucas asked.

"What?" Crocker said, having his quiet time interrupted.

"I asked if we could go for a walk to the moon pool."

"Oh, sorry. Sure; I guess you two are getting kind of bored cooped up here."

The two teens nodded. "Alright, let's go," Crocker said.

Although it was a little awkward having a chaperone, Lucas and Jasmine enjoyed each other's company while they played with Darwin. And Crocker was kind enough to give them a little space while keeping a watchful eye on them to be sure they were safe. But, Crocker did remember what it was like to be seventeen...and what it was like being in the company of a pretty, young girl.

The moon pool area was quiet, being that it was evening. Therefore, Lucas and Jasmine's attention was alerted when they heard raised voices arguing in the corridor near the lab.

"Never a dull moment around here, is there?" asked Jasmine.

"It's usually not like this," Lucas said. But, his curiosity was peaked. He began walking towards the sound of the two voices, and Jasmine followed.

As the two quietly came to the corridor, Lucas could see who the voices belonged to, Alex and Jeanine.

Jeanine said, "Please don't do this Alex. You can't leave me now. I love you."

"Look, I just want to take a break. This is getting to be too much for me right now," said Alex. With that, he left the area, leaving Jeanine in tears.

She noticed Lucas and Jasmine a few moments later. She quickly wiped her tears away. "Uh, I'm sorry you had to see that," she apologized.

"It's alright," Lucas said. "Are you OK?"

"Oh, don't worry about me; I'll be fine," Jeanine said. "Actually, I don't plan to be here much longer anyway."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, Lucas, it's really complicated; but I've decided to resign and move back upworld. I think it's for the best."

Lucas nodded. "Well, we'll all be sad to see you go."

Jeanine shook her head. "No, Lucas, lately, you're the only friend I have left here. But, I don't want to dump all my problems on you; you should go spend time with your friend," she motioned towards Jasmine, who had gone back to the moon pool to leave Lucas and Jeanine to speak alone.

"Right," Lucas said, "Uh, I'll see you around?"

"You bet," Jeanine said. "Thanks."

"Anytime," and with that, Jeanine left.

Lucas went back to the moon pool. "Sorry about that; I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's alright. I thought I would give you two privacy; that's why I didn't stick around," Jasmine explained.

"Jeanine's just a friend; she's had a hard time fitting in here."

Jasmine nodded. "Well, then, you're a good friend to help her out."

Lucas blushed a bit. "Uh, I'm not sure how good I really am; she says she's resigning."

"Well, that's not your fault; besides, I'm sure she and her boyfriend will get back together, and she'll change her mind."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Jasmine and Lucas continued to talk and play with Darwin for a while longer. As it got later, they decided they ought to turn in for the night.

When the two teens got back to Nathan's room, Kristin was already awake. Admittedly, she hadn't been able to sleep much at all. The gravity of the situation had set in, and she was scared to death. No matter how much Duncan, Watson, or even Nathan assured her that she'd be safe, _they _weren't the ones who had to put their lives in danger.

"Sorry, Mom. Did we wake you?" Jasmine asked as they came into the room.

Kristin shook her head. "No, I was already awake. Did you two have fun?"

"As much fun as we can have with a babysitter," Lucas said.

"You know that's not why we had Crocker with you two," Kristin explained.

"I know," Lucas said, "I'm just frustrated."

"We _all_ are," Nathan said. Apparently, he hadn't been asleep after all. He sat up to look at them. "Hopefully, this will all be over soon, and things will go back to normal around here."

Everyone was quiet for a while, all lost in their own thoughts.

"Um, I guess I'm going to get ready for bed," Jasmine said. "I'm pretty tired." She went into the bathroom to change.

"Uh, I guess I'll turn in, too," Lucas said. "You two will be leaving soon?"

Nathan looked at his watch. "Yes, I suppose so." He looked over at Kristin who looked like a dear caught in headlights, more frightened than he'd ever seen her. "Are you going to get ready?" he asked her.

Kristin was still lost in her own thoughts, and she didn't answer.

"Kristin," Nathan said a bit louder. "Did you hear me?"

"What?" she asked. "Sorry, I was somewhere else."

"Apparently," Nathan said. "I asked if you were going to get dressed soon or if you were planning on going to the lab in your bathrobe," he quipped, trying to get Kristin to lighten up a bit.

"Ha ha," Kristin said sarcastically. As soon as Jasmine came out of the bathroom, she went in to get dressed.

A short time later, Kristin and Nathan left for the lab.

Kristin made sure the lab was clear and that she was the only one who would be working. This is what Duncan and Watson had requested; she had to make herself as vulnerable as possible.

Before he went into the office with Duncan and Watson, Nathan wanted to speak to Kristin alone.

"You're still sure about this?" he asked.

Kristin took a deep breath. "Not really, but I've come this far."

Nathan put his arms around her and he discovered she was trembling. It pained him to see her that way. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you." Then, he kissed her passionately. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kristin said. They were interrupted by Duncan.

"Uh, Doctor, this is how we'll communicate with you." he handed her a small earpiece, similar to a hearing aid. "We'll let you know if we see anyone out of the ordinary coming towards you."

Kristin nodded as she placed it in her ear.

"Uh, Captain, we better go," Duncan said. All they could do now was watch the monitors and wait.

The evening was fairly uneventful. Kristin actually started to relax as she worked. She didn't even notice the sound of footsteps coming towards her.


	16. Nightmare on seaQuest

**Chapter 16**

Kristin's scream rang out in the lab crisp and clear, alerting Duncan, Watson, and Nathan. Admittedly, the three hadn't been paying much attention considering the night had been uneventful so far, and they were all feeling weary. They all ran to the nearby lab to make sure Kristin was OK.

"Lieutenant Lopez!" Kristin exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry; I-I didn't meant to frighten you, Doctor. I was just looking for Jeanine," Alex explained.

"Jeanine? Why would she be here?" Kristin asked.

"She works the night shift, doesn't she?" Alex asked. "We had a fight, and I couldn't sleep. I wanted to apologize; I checked her room first, but she wasn't there, so I thought she'd be here."

"I'm sorry, but I guess she didn't tell you," Kristin said.

"Tell me what?" Alex said.

"We had her take some time off; she hasn't worked here all week."

"Oh..." Alex said. "Uh, I'm sorry to bother you. Good night." With that, he was gone.

Kristin looked over at the three men who all looked a little sheepish. "What happened to my warning?" she asked.

"Uh, sorry," Duncan said.

"Sorry? Is that all you can say? I could be hacked to pieces and all you say is sorry?" Kristin exclaimed. "And _I'm_ supposed to put _my_ life in _your_ hands?"

Neither of them had a very good explanation. Nathan came around to her and placed an arm around her shoulder, hoping the Bridger charm would calm her. "Sweetheart, it was a mistake, we admit, one that _won't_ happen again," he looked at the Duncan and Watson, and they got the hint and nodded in agreement.

All of them gave Kristin sad puppy-dog eyes that made her laugh. She had to have been either really stupid or just really tired, but she opted to forgive them. "Alright," she said, "you all are forgiven. But, this better _not_ happen again. Are we clear?"

They all nodded. Nathan was going to _make_ sure it didn't happen again; he could have lost her right there, and he'd be damned if it were to happen again.

"Now, what do you think that was all about?" Watson asked.

"You mean Alex?" Kristin asked.

Watson nodded.

Kristin sighed. "Do you think Jeanine would do anything drastic?"

"What do you mean, Doctor?" Duncan asked.

"Before Kathleen, um, was murdered, she came to me and said that she felt Jeanine was emotionally unstable. That's why she suggested I take Jeanine off the schedule for now," Kristin explained, "Anyway, if she really is unstable, what if she attempts suicide? I mean, if she isn't in her room, where is she?"

"Either that or maybe she's our killer," Nathan said.

Watson shook his head, "We've already looked at her as a suspect and ruled her out. Besides...she's Mormon."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Nathan asked.

"Mormons do not believe in murder," Watson explained.

"So do a lot of other Christians, and that doesn't stop them," Kristin said.

Watson nodded. "Yes, however, Mormons believe that murder keeps them out of God's kingdom in the afterlife. To have a Mormon commit murder is extremely rare."

Duncan added, "We just don't think she committed murder. But, it doesn't mean she's not a target. Uh, what do you say we call it quits here for the evening. We'd better see if we can find her before we have a fifth murder."

"You and Watson check one end of the boat, and Kristin and I will check the other," Nathan said.

"Right," Duncan said. "We'll be in touch."

The four searched for hours, but there was no sign of Jeanine or a murderer. The rest of the crew was beginning to wake up and start their day. As the two pairs met, Duncan said, "I think it's best if we get some rest; we'll meet up again later."

Nathan and Kristin agreed. "Before we turn in, I'll check with Lieutenant Lopez again; maybe he found her."

Duncan and Watson nodded. "Let us know what he says."

Nathan said, "I will. Until later, Gentlemen."

With that, Nathan and Kristin went back to his quarters. Jasmine and Lucas had already gone to breakfast with Crocker; Lucas had left them a note.

"Do you want to get some rest while I go see Lieutenant Lopez?" Nathan asked her.

"I'd love to get some rest, but I don't think it's a good idea for me to be alone, do you?"

Nathan shook his head. "I'm sorry; I'm not thinking straight. I guess we go together."

Kristin nodded sympathetically. "I know the feeling."

The two went to Alex's room; he hadn't found Jeanine either.

"Be sure you let us know if you do."

"Yes, Sir."

Nathan and Kristin headed back to Nathan's room. While Kristin was lying down, Nathan grabbed his PAL and let Duncan know that there was no change in Jeanine's situation. Then, he laid down himself.

Nathan woke up to the chirping of his PAL. As he got up to answer it, he heard Kristin mumbling a complaint of being awoken in such a rude manner.

"Bridger," he said.

"Uh, Captain; it's Lucas. Sorry to bother you, but I am supposed to let you know that Jeanine's been found."

"Is she alright?" Nathan asked.'

"Yeah, she's fine. I guess she stayed in another nurse's room last night, so that's why no one could find her. She says she didn't mean to cause any problems."

"Tell her we're just glad she's safe. I'll see you later, OK?"

"Right...later." And Lucas cut the connection.

Nathan towards Kristin, who had pulled the covers over her head. "Are you awake?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," she mumbled, but didn't remove the blankets.

"They found Jeanine."

"I heard," she said sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Almost 2 PM. I take it you aren't ready to get up yet?"

"Not really, but I may as well. I don't think I'm going to get much more sleep anyway," Kristin said as she finally took the blankets off of her head and got up out of bed.

"You can shower first if you want," Nathan said to her.

Kristin graciously accepted. "Do I look like I need it that badly, or are you still feeling guilty?" she asked.

"A little of both," Nathan said sheepishly.

"Hmmm. I need to see how long I can make you feel guilty, then,:" Kristin said. "I think I can use a massage later."

"Don't push it," Nathan said as Kristin closed the bathroom door.

A short time later, Kristin emerged looking refreshed. "The bathroom's free," she said. "Make it quick; I'm famished."

"Yes, ma'am." He gave Kristin a mock salute and went into the bathroom.

Soon, they were both in the corridor headed to the mess hall for a late meal. They found Watson and Duncan already sitting at a table.

"Captain, Doctor," the two greeted them, "are you ready for another night?" Duncan asked.

"As long as no one makes any mistakes with my life, yes," Kristin said. She had to keep laying on the guilt.

Duncan said, "Don't worry, Doctor. That won't happen again."

"Good," Kristin said, looking very pleased with herself.

"We're ready," Nathan said. "Any leads yet?"

"Not a one; whoever this is, he's laying low. But, I have a feeling this is the calm before the storm."

"Let's hope so," Nathan said.

"Speak for yourself," Kristin said.

"You know what we mean, Doctor," said Watson. "We just want this to be over so we can all get back to our lives."

Kristin nodded; she understood, but she was still frightened she'd come to face with the murderer. And that thought gave her an uneasy feeling.


	17. In the Shadow of Death

**Chapter 17**

On the second night of their stake-out, again, Duncan, Watson, and Nathan watched the lab on monitors as Kristin worked. Again, it appeared to be an uneventful night; while he watched the lab, Nathan ran the facts through his head wondering who in the world could have committed four murders right under their noses. While Nathan was lost in his own thoughts, Duncan and Watson were reviewing footage from earlier that day. Even though they had been asleep, the cameras were still recording the lab areas. However, they didn't find much out of the ordinary. However, one thing did catch their attention.

"Wait, wait," Duncan told Watson. "rewind that a bit."

Watson obliged. "Who is that?" It was obvious that the figure was a nurse, but one couldn't see her face. The nurse took out some vials of medication of some sort and stuffed them in the pocket of her uniform. It looked suspicious.

Nathan looked over their shoulders at the video. "There are a lot of nurses with long, dark hair. It could be anyone."

"Is this normal protocol?" Duncan asked.

"I'm not sure; we'll have to check with Levin in the morning. She could have just been-" Nathan was suddenly interrupted by a scream, Kristin's scream.

The three men turned to the monitor and saw a masked figure standing behind Kristin with his arm around her throat. Nathan ran into the lab, Duncan and Watson at his heels.

As they came up upon the two, although the person was masked, one could tell the figure was male, dressed all in black. He was holding a syringe pointed towards Kristin's throat in a threatening manner. Although he did not speak, it was evident that it was a threat for them to stay back.

Nathan could see the questions in Kristin's eyes. They said, "Where _were_ you?" Again, they had been careless with her life, _he_ had been careless with her life. He mouthed the words, "I'm sorry." He could see how frightened she was, but he couldn't get to her for fear that whatever was in the syringe would kill her right on the spot if her captor injected it into her. Nathan motioned for Duncan and Watson to stay back.

"Easy," Nathan said to the masked figure. "You don't have to do this. Just let her go," he said gently. He tried to step a little closer to Kristin.

"Stay back," said the masked figure, "or I'll stick her."

Nathan tried to place the voice, but he couldn't. "OK," Nathan said, holding up his arms to show he wasn't armed and taking a step back. He could see tears of fright running down Kristin's cheeks. He had to do something, he had to get him to set her free. "See, I've stepped back. Now what is it you want?"

Everyone waited with baited breath as to what the masked figure would say in answer. However, instead he pushed Kristin harshly and ran. Nathan jumped out and caught Kristin just before her cheek made contact with the corner of the table in front of her. This happened so fast that no one saw which way the masked figure ran or if they could even locate him if they had.

Nathan wrapped his arms around the trembling, terrified woman. "It's alright, I'm right here. You're going to be fine," he whispered gently as he stroked her hair.

"We're so sorry, Doctor," Duncan said gently.

Kristin just nodded, her head buried still against Nathan's chest.

"Uh, I think we should call it quits for the rest of the night," Watson said.

Duncan nodded. "We'd better go see if we can catch him. We'll catch up with you tomorrow, Captain."

Nathan nodded, waving them off. He picked Kristin up and carried her back to his quarters.

It had been a long, weary rest of the night for Nathan and Kristin. Kristin was absolutely terrified now, and Nathan did his best to calm her and soothe her. He managed to calm her enough so that she could sleep, but the sleep was restless. She had several nightmares; Nathan vowed he would not leave her side again until this was truly over. And, he would be damned if there was going to be another stakeout with Kristin as bait. He was sure Kristin wouldn't agree to it either. Once Nathan was certain Kristin was able to rest, he soon joined her in sleep.

Duncan and Watson looked for their perpetrator, but to no avail. As soon as morning hit, they showed their footage to Dr. Levin. Although he couldn't tell them who the nurse in the video was, he did tell them what she took-anesthetic drugs known as ketamine.

"What does ketamine do?" asked Duncan.

"It's a general anesthesia drug," Levin explained. "We use it with other drugs; it really shouldn't be used alone; however, in this case, the victim would be able to have use of their general reflexes-blinking, swallowing, etc. However, he or she would not be able to move of their own free will."

"So basically, the victim would be temporarily paralyzed?" Watson asked.

Levin nodded. "But she would have been aware of what was happening to her."

"The toxicology reports from the other victims didn't show any signs of any drugs being used. Would this type of drug show up?" Duncan asked.

"I would think so, unless a small amount was used. However, it isn't very likely that it would work out of the body that quickly. Maybe this was just the first time it was taken. Neither I nor Dr. Westphalen noticed any missing vials...that is until now," Levin explained.

Watson nodded. "You're probably right."

"Uh, I guess that's all we need from you, Doctor. Let us know if you notice anything unusual," Duncan said.

"I will," said Levin.

"Now what?" Watson asked Duncan.

"Now we go talk to the captain."

Nathan woke up to the sound of knocking. As he sat up, he looked towards Kristin's direction. Thankfully, she was still sleeping. He quickly grabbed his robe and rushed to the door before the knocking could start again.

"Duncan, Watson," Nathan said quietly. He put a finger to his lips to indicate they needed to be quiet. He shrugged his robe on and stepped into the corridor.

"How is she?" Duncan asked sympathetically.

Nathan sighed. "It's been a long night. I can honestly say that she's shaken up, traumatized. Any luck finding the guy?"

Duncan shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. I wish we had better news. We did talk to Dr. Levin though."

"And?" Nathan asked.

"He says he believes this is the first time any drugs had been taken. He couldn't tell from the footage who the woman was, but he was able to tell us what she took. It was an anesthetic, one that would allow the victim to be completely awake while she was murdered but would prevent her from getting away," Watson explained.

"Jesus," Nathan exclaimed. "Did he use it on the other victims?"

"Our toxicology reports say no; we think this is something new," Duncan explained. "Now, it seems we are looking for two perpetrators."

Nathan nodded grimly. "Forgive me for saying this, but I hope you aren't expecting Kristin to be bait again."

Duncan shook his head. "We wouldn't expect her to do that after last night. Besides, we think this guy's too smart for that again. Just don't let her out of your sight."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Nathan said. With that, Duncan and Watson left. Nathan quietly stepped back into the room to find Kristin awake.

"Hi, Sweetheart," he said gently as he sat down next to her to put an arm around her shoulders.

Kristin said nothing but cuddled close to him. Nathan kissed her gently on the forehead and held her close.

Meanwhile, Jasmine and Lucas had been working in the lab, unaware of the previous night's drama. Somehow, they had slept through Kristin's nightmares; they had no idea she'd been attacked. For the past two nights, they actually enjoyed spending time together, even though Crocker had to watch over them. They were working with Darwin, as usual. No one seemed to notice the dark figure come in the lab with a knife.

Before anyone could warn him, the dark, masked figure plunged the knife into Crocker's back. Although he was in excruciating pain, Crocker yelled towards Lucas and Jasmine, "Jasmine, Lucas-RUN!"

Before Jasmine realized what was happening, Lucas grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the lab. The lab was in chaos, with all crew members who had witnessed the scene running in all directions.

When Lucas thought they were safe, he and Jasmine stopped for a few moments to catch their breath. Lucas looked in both directions of the corridor. Suddenly, he saw the dark figure coming towards them. Jasmine screamed as Lucas grabbed her hand again so they could run from whoever this was.


	18. Slash, Slash Kill, Kill

**Chapter 18**

Jasmine and Lucas ran around a corner and ran into Jeanine.

"Jeanine, run!" Lucas said as he and Jasmine stopped to catch their breath for a few moments.

Jeanine was confused. "What's going on?"

"He's after us!" Jasmine cried.

As the masked figure got closer, Jeanine froze in her place. Jasmine and Lucas looked on in horror as the killer stabbed her cruelly in the abdomen.

"Oh my God!" Jasmine cried.

Lucas was terrified, but he quickly came back to reality, grabbing Jasmine's hand. "We have to go!" he urged.

The killer left Jeanine's seemingly lifeless body in the corridor and followed the two teens.

Jasmine was getting tired, and she was slowing down. 

Lucas tried to encourage her. "You have to keep going. You can do it."

"I can't." Jasmine cried, tears running down her cheeks. "We don't even know where we're going."

Lucas thought for a second. "To the bridge. We're headed for the bridge; it's not too far. You can make it."

Jasmine nodded, believing what Lucas told her. Lucas grabbed her hand once again and the two ran a bit faster. However, the masked figure was soon on their heels.

Suddenly, Lucas felt Jasmine's hand slip out of his, and he turned to see her in the arms of the masked figure.

"Jasmine!" Lucas cried helplessly.

"Lucas run!" Jasmine pleaded.

Lucas shook his head. "I'm not leaving you."

The masked figure grabbed Lucas and led him and Jasmine back to the lab. To their relief, the lab was completely empty, which meant that everyone else was safe. Even Crocker was gone, which mean that he was getting medical attention somewhere; they silently hoped he was alright. But this brief moment of relief was soon squelched as they were brought into the surgical theatre at the back of the lab. The masked figure closed the door behind them.

Jasmine and Lucas cringed when they saw all the surgical tools laid out on a table near two beds. A small cry of fright escaped Jasmine's lips when it was apparent what their fate was to be. Although their captor did not remove his mask, they heard him speak for the first time. He turned to Lucas and said, "Tell her to lie down on the bed; then tie her down."

Lucas shook his head. "No."

The masked figure took the knife out of his pocket and held it to Lucas' throat. "What did you say?"

"Lucas, just listen to him," Jasmine pleaded. "You're not going to be any use dead."

"She's a smart girl; you'd better listen to her," the masked figure said.

Lucas looked into Jasmine's frightened eyes. "Lie down," he said.

Jasmine did as she was told, and Lucas proceeded to tighten the straps around her legs and her torso. As he came up to the straps that would bind her arms, he was crying. He looked at Jasmine's face, and she was crying too. "Don't cry," Lucas choked. "Everything's going to be fine."

This only made Jasmine cry harder because it was evident that it was _not_ going to be fine. Lucas grabbed her hand and squeezed. "I'll be right here," he said, as he finished tightening the straps.

"Oh, knock it off!" the masked figure yelled. He picked up a syringe and walked towards Jasmine.

Meanwhile, the intercom in Nathan's room buzzed with urgency. He got out of bed to answer. "Bridger," he said sleepily.

"I-I'm sorry to wake you, Captain, but we have a situation here," Dr. Levin said on the other end of the line.

"What's going on?" Nathan asked.

Levin sighed. "Well, I'm sitting here with Chief Crocker; I've just finished tending to his wounds."

"His wounds?" Kristin asked, sitting up in bed to hear better. Apparently, the mention of someone in need of medical attention snapped her out of her trauma, at least temporarily.

"Where are you?" Nathan asked. "I'll come meet you in a few moments so that we can talk."

"We're in my room," Levin explained.

Nathan and Kristin dressed quickly and rushed to Levin's room. As they entered, Kristin rushed to Crocker's side to be sure he was alright. Suddenly, a thought came to her, "Where are Jasmine and Lucas?" she asked.

Crocker had a worried look on his face. "I'm so sorry, Cap."

Levin took over, noticing Crocker was emotionally distressed. "Our murderer attacked Crocker in the lab, stabbed him in the back, and went chasing after the kids. We don't know where they are right now."

"Oh my God!" Kristin gasped, almost near tears. "My baby!"

Nathan place an arm around her shoulders. "Calm down," he soothed. "We don't know anything yet. Let's not jump to conclusions." Then he added, "Crocker, it's not your fault." He grabbed his PAL to contact Duncan and Watson.

A short time later, Duncan, Watson, Nathan, and Kristin were all on the bridge. They were hoping that Jasmine and Lucas were there, but, unfortunately, they were not.

Soon, almost all the crew, save for the few who had to man the helm, were searching all over for the two teens.

Nathan and Kristin silently prayed they'd find them before it was too late.

Jasmine screamed as the masked figure came closer to her arm with the loaded syringe. "No, please!" she pleaded.

"Don't worry. This is just something to help you relax. It won't hurt; just a little poke," the masked murderer told her.

Lucas could do nothing but stand there helplessly and watch as Jasmine squirmed under the ties. No one heard a fourth person enter the room.

Just as the needle began to make contact with Jasmine's arm, Jasmine and Lucas heard the masked figure scream in pain and withdraw the needle before any of the syringe's contents could be injected.

Jasmine and Lucas looked to see what the matter was and saw Jeanine stabbing the murderer in the back.

"Oh my God! Jeanine; you're alive!" Lucas exclaimed.

Jeanine said nothing. Jasmine and Lucas watched in horror and surprise as Jeanine continued to stab the masked figure until it was apparent he was dead.

After a few moments of silence, Lucas looked at Jeanine, noticing the bright red stain on the front of her shirt from her own stab wounds. "Are you alright?" Lucas asked her.

Jeanine nodded. "I'm much better now."

"Uh, c-could you untie me now?" Jasmine asked.

"Yeah," Lucas said, as he started to undo the straps. But, he was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Oh, I don't think that's such a good idea."


	19. Desperation

**Chapter 19**

"Excuse me?" Lucas said, looking in the direction of the voice. He wanted to be sure of who said it.

"I said it's not a good idea," Jeanine said.

"And why do you say that?" Jasmine asked confused.

"Because _I _want to be the one to torture you before I kill you." Jeanine answered with sickening sweetness.

"Jeanine...you? Y-you mean..." Lucas stammered.

Jeanine nodded with an evil smile across her face. "Yes, Lucas. I'm a killer...and every single one of _them deserved_ what they got!"

Jasmine was silent with disbelief. Lucas said, "I thought we were friends; please let us go."

"Oh, we are friends, Lucas. Don't you see? That's why I've chosen you."

"Chosen me for what?" Lucas asked, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"As bait-I want the captain and the good doctor to come for you; of course, they're not going to get here on time," Jeanine answered. "You see, Alex, here," Jeanine motioned towards the masked figure lying dead on the floor in a pool of blood, "was too weak to finish you off. He told me he thought he wouldn't be able to do it. I won't be so weak; I'll have no problems doing it," she said as she picked up a scalpel and moved towards Jasmine.

Lucas protectively stepped between Jasmine and Jeanine as Jasmine screamed in terror.

"Lucas, I'm warning you," Jeanine said. "Get out of the way." She held the scalpel towards him in a threatening manner.

Lucas bravely said, "No, I'm not going to let you hurt her without a fight."

"If that's the way you want it," Jeanine said as she plunged the scalpel into Lucas' chest.

Jasmine screamed as Lucas tumbled forward. Jeanine didn't seem to care as she grabbed another scalpel from the table next to her and came towards Jasmine.

"No, please!" Jasmine cried.

Jeanine just laughed as she used the scalpel to cut into the flesh of Jasmine's right arm.

Jasmine screamed in pain, tears running down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Duncan, Watson, Nathan, and Kristin were in the moon pool area.

"Shhh," Nathan told them. "I think I hear something."

They all stopped what they were doing and listened. A few moments later, they heard Jasmine scream again.

"That's Jasmine!" Kristin cried. They all ran in the direction of the scream.

They ran towards the surgical theatre. However, when they got there, they found the door was locked.

Duncan turned to Kristin. "Is there another way in?" he asked.

Kristin shook her head. She started to say something but was interrupted by another scream from her daughter. Kristin felt helpless as her tears threatened to fall. "Oh my God; what's going on in there?" she cried.

Nathan proceeded to throw himself against the door to break the lock and get it to open; once, twice, three times. Finally, it appeared to be breaking loose. One more time, and the door broke off it's hinges and fell to the floor.

As the door feel, Jeanine immediately stepped away from Jasmine, surprised that she was interrupted so soon. The bloody scalpel fell from her hand to the floor as she raised her hands in the air. She knew she'd been caught. Duncan pulled his gun out and pointed it towards her.

"_You_?" he said. "_You_ did all this?"

Jeanine nodded. "They all had to pay."

"For what?" Watson asked as he walked behind her and placed her in hand cuffs.

"For their sins," Jeanine said simply. "That little slut Sarah was sleeping with my boyfriend. Who do you think the daddy of her baby was? And, they _both_ thought they could hide it from me! But I found out."

"Why did you let Alex live?" Duncan asked her, still holding the gun on her.

"He begged me to let him live. I listened because I loved him; I told him he had to help me. But, in the end he was too weak. He had to go."

"And Doctor Mitchell and Bridget Chapman?" Watson asked.

"They knew about the affair and didn't tell me."

"I thought you were religious?" Watson asked.

Jeanine laughed. "I am."

"You know, the Bible says you're going to Hell?" Duncan said.

"The Bible says a lot of things," Jeanine answered. Duncan and Watson led her out of the room.

Kristin rushed to Jasmine's side, untying her restraints and checking her injuries.

"Mom...Lucas," Jasmine said through tears.

Kristin wrapped her arms around her daughter; then, she crouched down on the floor next to Lucas. Nathan rushed to help her turn the boy over.

"Lucas?" Kristin said gently. She felt for a pulse and was relieved to find one; she also noticed the slight rise and fall of his chest. "He's breathing," she confirmed to Nathan.

She immediately got out her PAL and called Dr. Levin and some of her nurses to medbay.

A short time later, Nathan found himself being pushed out of medbay to wait while the doctors and nurses worked to tend to the teens' injuries.

What seemed like hours later, Kristin finally came out into the corridor to speak with him.

"How are they?" Nathan asked anxiously.

"Lucas has fourty-three stitches, but he'll be fine," she assured him. "We've given him some pain medication, and that's going to make him want to sleep. After things calm down here, you can go in and see him."

"How's Jasmine?"

Kristin sighed. "She has twenty-five stitches in each arm; fifteen on one hand, seven on the other. She's resting right now as well. I gave her a shot to relax her."

Nathan noticed Kristin wouldn't meet his gaze. "And how are you?" he asked, placing an arm around her shoulder.

Nathan could see Kristin was crying, purging all of the pain and fright she'd felt earlier. She had to be the professional doctor right away and had not had time to do so. Nathan wrapped his arms around her as he let her let it all out.

After a short time, Kristin's tears subsided. "Thank you," she whispered as she lifted her head from his shoulder to look in his eyes.

Nathan placed a gentle hand to her face and brushed a stray tear from her cheek. "It's all over now," he said.


	20. The Aftermath

**Chapter 20**

The next day, Duncan, Watson, and the rest of the NCIS forensic team prepared to leave.

"Well, Captain, it looks like our work here is done," Duncan said to Nathan.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way," Nathan said, "but I _am_ glad it's over."

Duncan nodded in agreement. "I understand your feelings, Captain. But, I am glad it's over, too." He held out his hand to Nathan. "See you around?"

Nathan shook his hand. "If you don't mind, I hope not," Nathan admitted.

Duncan just laughed; he knew what Nathan meant. He stepped into the launch and closed the door. Soon, their guests were gone.

Nathan looked took a leisurely walk towards the bridge. On his way to the bridge, he stopped by medbay to check on Lucas, Jasmine, and Kristin.

When he arrived at Lucas' room, Jasmine and Kristin were in there visiting. "Hey, Kiddo," Nathan said, "How are you feeling?"

"Alright," Lucas said. "Dr. Westphalen says she'll release me later today."

"_If_ he promises to take it easy," Kristin warned.

"How are you, Sweetie?" Nathan asked, placing a gentle hand on Jasmine's shoulder.

"I'm doing fine," Jasmine said quietly, but she had a small smile on her face that gave Nathan a reassured feeling.

"I promise that your next trip here will be much better," Nathan said. Then he added, "that is if you want to come back."

"You aren't getting rid of me _that_ easily," Jasmine retorted. "Don't worry; I plan on coming back...but you know I'm here for another week, don't you?"

Nathan nodded. "But, I have a proposition for you-for _all_ of you, actually."

"We're listening," Kristin said.

"I've spoken with Admiral Noyce, and the UEO has decided that we need a vacation after what's happened. The whole crew gets some time off," Nathan explained.

"That sounds wonderful," Kristin said.

Nathan nodded. "So, I was thinking we could all go to my island for ours-if you are interested."

"That sounds great!" Lucas said. Jasmine and Kristin agreed.

"When do we dock?" Kristin asked.

"Tomorrow," Nathan said. "I think we all deserve a vacation."

"You can say that again," Kristin said.

"Uh, listen, I have to take care of some things on the bridge; I'll see you three later, OK?" Nathan said.

The three nodded. Nathan walked over to Kristin and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Jasmine and Lucas were a little surprised.

As Nathan broke the kiss, Kristin asked, "What was that for?"

"Because I'm not going to take anymore chances," Nathan answered.

Kristin smiled and nodded her head towards the kids. "Yes, well how are _you_ going to explain it to _them_? What happened to discretion?"

"To hell with discretion," Nathan said. "And, you can explain it to them. They know what love is, and I am not going to be spending a week on my island with you if I have to sneak around to give you a kiss or anything else."

With that, Nathan left, leaving Kristin to explain to Jasmine and Lucas that they were indeed dating, although the two teens already sensed it. And, they were happy-they were all happy now that they had their lives back and the nightmare was over.

**The End**


End file.
